Do THIS to find out how many people have the same last name as you

If you want to know a little more about the origin of your last name to investigate family history, assemble the tree genealogy or just out of curiosity, know that you can search for surnames on an official government website Brazilian.

Brazil keeps old records of immigrants and people born in the country that can be consulted from the surname by anyone. Consultation is free and is carried out on the SIAN website (National Archive Information System).

The platform is managed by the National Archives, a public body that preserves and disseminates the country's documentary heritage.

It is a database with government documents, photo files, cartography, virtual exhibitions and audiovisual recordings from different periods in the country.

Thus, the site has entry records of immigrants in Brazil and other data that can facilitate searches for ancestors.

Investigating our family past is a way of preserving memory and finding distant relatives, in order to continue traditions and cultural roots that are very important for family ties.

In addition, having access to ancestors also facilitates the process of applying for citizenship in other countries.

Typically, files are accessed by students, researchers and professors, but anyone can access all documents.

Check below how to search your last name in the National Archives!

Step by step: How to look up surnames in the National Archives

1. Access the official website of the National Archives, the SIAN at: https://sian.an.gov.br/;
2. Afterwards, it is necessary to log in to access the records;
3. If you do not have an account, click on Create account;
4. If you have a Gov.br account, you can enter with the same account;
5. Find the “Funds/Collections” field on the top tab;
6. Click on the “Free Search” option;
7. Then enter the last name you want to search for;
8. The available records will be displayed on the screen.

Now you can access all the results and find the information you want about your last name and ancestors.

An interesting tip is to search for different spellings of the same last name, taking into account that some names may have undergone changes in the original spelling during the process of entry and stay of immigrants in the Brazil.