A guide to the Afro-Brazilian (Aguda) surnames of Ouidah

Walk through the Zomachi quarter of Ouidah and you'll see them painted on gates, carved into headstones, stitched onto shop signs: da Silva. De Souza. D'Almeida. Olympio. Medeiros. Paraíso.

These are not colonial remnants. They are not the names of Portuguese settlers who stayed behind. They are the names of Africans who returned — people who were enslaved, shipped to Brazil, and then, against extraordinary odds, found their way back to the Bight of Benin. They brought with them Brazilian crafts, Brazilian architecture, Brazilian Catholicism — and Brazilian surnames that their descendants still carry, seven generations later.

This guide traces the most common Aguda surnames of Ouidah — their origins, their meanings, and the families that bear them. If you are researching your roots or simply trying to understand why there are so many da Silvas in West Africa, this is where you start.

Who were the Agudas?

The term Aguda (or Amarô in some contexts) refers to the community of Africans who were enslaved and taken to Brazil. Some were born in Africa and forcibly transported. Others were born in Brazil to enslaved African parents. All of them made their way back across the Atlantic, forming a distinct social group in the coastal cities of West Africa — Lagos, Porto Novo, Badagry, and most prominently, Ouidah.

The largest wave of returns occurred between 1835 and 1888. Thousands of freedmen and women left Salvador, Bahia, and other Brazilian ports on ships bound for the Bight of Benin. Many were skilled artisans, builders, and traders. They brought with them the Brazilian colonial style that still marks Ouidah's architecture — pastel facades, wrought-iron balconies, Portuguese tile roofs. For a full account of this history, read our article on the Aguda community of Ouidah.

They also brought their names. These names were Portuguese, given by Brazilian slave owners and church records. But in West Africa, they became something else: markers of a distinct identity, neither fully African nor fully Brazilian, but something entirely new.

The major Aguda surnames decoded

De Souza — the name that built Ouidah

No surname carries more weight in Ouidah than de Souza. It all traces back to a single man: Francisco Félix de Souza, known as the Chacha.

Born in Salvador, Bahia, de Souza arrived on the Slave Coast in the late 18th century and became the most powerful slave trader and intermediary between the Kingdom of Dahomey and European merchants. His relationship with King Ghezo of Dahomey was so close — documented in Robin Law's definitive biography Ouidah: The Social History of a West African Slaving Port (2004) — that he was granted the title Chacha, a hereditary chieftaincy that his descendants hold to this day.

The modern de Souzas of Ouidah are not one family but many. Some descend directly from the Chacha and hold leadership roles in the de Souza lineage council. Others carry the name through adoption, marriage, or former enslaved people who took their master's name and then returned to Africa. The annual de Souza family gathering in Ouidah draws hundreds of participants from across the diaspora.

For the full story of the man behind the name, read our portrait of Francisco Félix de Souza, the Chacha.

Da Silva — the most widespread

If de Souza is the most powerful Aguda name, da Silva is the most common. In Brazil, Silva is simply the most frequent surname in the country — the equivalent of Smith in English. Many of the Africans who returned carried it for that reason alone.

But in Ouidah, the da Silvas developed their own distinct identity. The da Silva clan produced several prominent families, particularly in the Zomachi quarter, where they built some of the finest examples of Afro-Brazilian architecture still standing. A da Silva house in Zomachi is recognisable by its distinctive balcony style — broader and more ornate than the de Souza homes, with Portuguese azulejo tiles imported from Bahia.

D'Almeida — the name that built an empire

The d'Almeida family of Ouidah spread across the coast. Julião d'Almeida, a returnee who settled in Porto Novo and Lagos, built a trading empire that extended from Benin to Nigeria. His descendants include politicians, diplomats, and business leaders across West Africa.

The d'Almeidas of Ouidah are known for their close ties to the Afro-Brazilian Cathedral, which several family members helped fund and maintain. The family cemetery in Zomachi is one of the most ornate in the quarter — Portuguese marble headstones inscribed in both Portuguese and Fon.

Olympio — from Ouidah to the presidency of Togo

Olympio is perhaps the most remarkable Aguda surname — because it produced a president.

Sylvanus Olympio, born in 1902, was the grandson of Francisco Olympio, a Brazilian returnee who established a trading company in Lomé. Sylvanus became the first president of independent Togo in 1960. He was assassinated during a coup in 1963, but the Olympio name remains one of the most prominent political dynasties in West Africa.

The Olympio family maintains ties to Ouidah, where some branches of the clan still reside in the Brazilian quarter. Their name, originally Olympio da Silva, was shortened to Olympio after the return to Africa — a common pattern among Aguda families who abbreviated their Portuguese names to create something distinct.

Medeiros, Domingo, Paraíso — the names that complete the map

Beyond the four major families, dozens of other Aguda surnames populate Ouidah's genealogy:

• Medeiros — a family of shipwrights and carpenters who built many of the wooden pirogues still used on Lake Toho
• Domingo — originally a given name (Domingos) that became a surname after return
• Paraíso — meaning "paradise" in Portuguese, often given to children born during the Atlantic crossing or shortly after return
• Costa — a name shared with Brazilian and Portuguese families, but in Ouidah, it often traces back to a specific returnee who worked as a translator for the Portuguese fort

Each of these names has a story. The Ouidah genealogy guide explains how to trace these stories — through DNA, oral history, and the family archives that many Aguda clans still maintain.

Why these names matter today

For Afro-descendants researching their roots, an Aguda surname in the family tree is gold. It means:

1. A documented ancestor. Unlike the millions of enslaved Africans whose names were erased, the Agudas kept written records — church baptisms, marriage certificates, trading documents.
2. A reverse migration story. The ancestor left Africa, lived in Brazil, and returned. That return created a paper trail that cuts through the silence of the Middle Passage.
3. Living relatives in Ouidah. Many Aguda families still live in the same houses their ancestors built. The de Souzas, da Silvas, and d'Almeidas of Ouidah are not museum pieces — they are communities you can visit, talk to, and learn from.

The Aguda surnames of Ouidah are not relics. They are living lineages, carrying names that crossed the Atlantic twice — from Africa to Brazil, and from Brazil back to Africa. Each name is a compressed biography of the largest forced migration in human history. And unlike the millions of names that were lost, these ones survived.

How to research an Aguda connection

If you believe your family may have Aguda roots:

1. Start with the name. Is there a da Silva, de Souza, d'Almeida, Olympio, Medeiros, Domingo, Costa, or Paraíso in your family tree? Even a great-grandparent's middle name can be a clue.
2. Check Brazilian records. The Agudas passed through Brazil before returning to Africa. Brazilian port records, church archives, and slave registries — particularly from Salvador, Bahia — often contain traces.
3. Contact the families. The de Souza family maintains an active genealogy project. The Ouidah Origins concierge can facilitate introductions.
4. Come to Ouidah. Nothing replaces walking through Zomachi, seeing the names on the gates, and talking to the families who have been here for seven generations.

For a complete guide to tracing your ancestry in Benin, read our article: Researching your ancestors in Ouidah.