The Greatest Portuguese Women

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Daniela Ruah

(Actress and Director Known for Her Role as ‘Kensi Blye’ in TV Series ‘NCIS: Los Angeles’)

Birthdate: December 2, 1983

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Birthplace: Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Portuguese-American actress, Daniela Rua,h is best known for her role in the TV series, NCIS: Los Angeles. She began acting as a teenager and went on to study performing arts at the London Metropolitan University. She then trained at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute before commencing her professional career. She works in both Portuguese and American films.

Daniela Melchior

(Actress)

Birthdate: November 1, 1996

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Birthplace: Almada, Portugal

Height: 5'6" (168 cm)

Sara Sampaio

(Portuguese Model, Best Known for Being a Victoria's Secret Angel)

Birthdate: July 21, 1991

Sun Sign: Cancer

Birthplace: Porto, Portugal

Sara Sampaio is a Portuguese actress and model renowned for her work as a Victoria's Secret Angel. One of the most popular Portuguese models of her generation, Sampaio has been honored with Portuguese Golden Globes under the Best Female Model category on several occasions. In 2014, she became the first Portuguese model to appear in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.

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Alba Baptista

(Actress)

Birthdate: July 10, 1997

Sun Sign: Cancer

Birthplace: Lisbon, Portugal

Height: 5'3" (160 cm)

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Margarida Corceiro

(Actress, Model)

Birthdate: October 26, 2002

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Birthplace: Santarém, Portugal

Sara Carbonero

(Spanish-Portuguese Sports Journalist)

Birthdate: February 3, 1984

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: Corral de Almaguer, Spain

Sara Carbonero is a Spanish-Portuguese TV personality and sports journalist. She is best known for her association with the popular free-to-air TV channel Telecinco, where she worked as a presenter. Carbonero made headlines in 2010 when she covered the 2010 FIFA World Cup, including the match between Switzerland and Spain that featured her then-boyfriend Iker Casillas whom she later married.

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Sister Lúcia

(Religious sister)

Birthdate: March 28, 1907

Sun Sign: Aries

Birthplace: Aljustrel, Portugal

Died: February 13, 2005

Isabella Leong

(Actress)

Birthdate: June 23, 1988

Sun Sign: Cancer

Birthplace: Portuguese Macau

Height: 5'8" (173 cm)

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Maria de Medeiros

(Actress)

Birthdate: August 19, 1965

Sun Sign: Leo

Birthplace: Lisbon, Portugal

Lúcia Moniz

(Singer, Actress)

Birthdate: September 9, 1976

Sun Sign: Virgo

Birthplace: Lisbon, Portugal

Height: 5'5" (165 cm)

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Maria II of Portugal

(Queen of Portugal (1826 - 1828))

Birthdate: April 4, 1819

Sun Sign: Aries

Birthplace: São Cristóvão, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Died: November 15, 1853

Maria II of Portugal was the Queen of Portugal from 2 May 1826 to 23 June 1828. She reigned as the queen once again from 1834 until her death in 1853 at the age of 34 due to complications during her 11th delivery.

Mariana van Zeller

(Peabody Award-winning Portuguese journalist and correspondent for National Geographic Channel)

Birthdate: May 7, 1976

Sun Sign: Taurus

Birthplace: Cascais, Portugal

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Isabel, Princess Imperial of Brazil

(Princess)

Birthdate: July 29, 1846

Sun Sign: Leo

Birthplace: Palace of São Cristóvão, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Died: November 14, 1921

Isabella of Aragon, Queen of Portugal

(Queen)

Birthdate: October 2, 1470

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: Dueñas, Palencia, Spain

Died: August 23, 1498

Birthdate: March 31, 1360

Sun Sign: Aries

Birthplace: Leicester, England

Died: July 19, 1415

Aure Atika

(Actress)

Birthdate: July 12, 1970

Sun Sign: Cancer

Birthplace: Monte Estoril, Portugal

Height: 5'9" (175 cm)

Sara Martins

(Actress)

Birthdate: August 19, 1977

Sun Sign: Leo

Birthplace: Faro, Portugal

Height: 5'7" (170 cm)

Filipa Moniz Perestrelo

(Noblewoman)

Birthdate: 1455 AD

Birthplace: Porto Santo, Portugal

Died: 1484 AD

Teresa Heinz

(Businesswoman, Philanthropist and Wife of Former U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry)

Birthdate: October 5, 1938

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: Maputo, Mozambique

Portuguese-American entrepreneur and philanthropist Teresa Heinz is the widow of H. J. Heinz Company heir and former American senator John Heinz and the wife of former American secretary of state John Kerry. She chairs the Heinz Endowments and the Heinz Family Philanthropies. She focuses on women’s issues and environmental concerns.

Inês de Castro

(Noblewoman)

Birthdate: 1325 AD

Birthplace: Kingdom of Galicia

Died: 1355 AD

Amália Rodrigues

(Actress)

Birthdate: July 23, 1920

Sun Sign: Leo

Birthplace: Lisbon, Portugal

Died: October 6, 1999

Paula Rego

(Visual artist)

Birthdate: January 26, 1935

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: Portugal

Joana Ribeiro

(Actress, Model)

Birthdate: March 25, 1992

Sun Sign: Aries

Birthplace: Lisbon, Portugal

Mariza

(Singer)

Birthdate: December 16, 1973

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Birthplace: Maputo, Mozambique

Maria of Aragon, Queen of Portugal

(Queen)

Birthdate: June 29, 1482

Sun Sign: Cancer

Birthplace: Córdoba, Spain

Died: March 7, 1517

Carmen Miranda

(Brazilian Actress and Samba Singer Known for Her Signature Tall Hats Made of Real Fruit)

Birthdate: February 9, 1909

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: Marco de Canaveses, Portugal

Died: August 5, 1955

Carmen Miranda was a Portuguese-born Brazilian samba dancer, singer, film star, and Broadway actress. Nicknamed The Brazilian Bombshell, Miranda is credited with popularizing the fruit hat outfit in the USA. Her performances also popularized Brazilian music and helped increase awareness of Latin culture. Her life and career inspired a documentary titled Carmen Miranda: Bananas is My Business.

Maria João Pires

(Pianist)

Birthdate: July 23, 1944

Sun Sign: Leo

Birthplace: Lisbon, Portugal

Isabella of Portugal, Queen of Castile

(Queen)

Birthdate: 1428 AD

Birthplace: Toledo, Spain

Died: August 15, 1496

Katia Aveiro

(Portuguese Singer Known for Her Single ‘De ella Boom Sem Parar’)

Birthdate: October 5, 1977

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: Madeira, Portugal

Portuguese singer Katia Aveiro, best known for songs such as Latina de cuerpo y alma, is also the sister of football star Cristiano Ronaldo. She has appeared on reality shows such as Supervivientes. She made headlines when, after Ronaldo’s COVID-19 diagnosis, she called the whole thing a fraud.

Catherine of Austria, Queen of Portugal

(Queen of Portugal as wife of King John III)

Birthdate: January 14, 1507

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: Torquemada, Spain

Died: February 12, 1578

Mariana Victoria of Spain

(Queen)

Birthdate: March 31, 1718

Sun Sign: Aries

Birthplace: Royal Alcazar of Madrid, Spain

Died: January 15, 1781

April Ivy

(Singer, Songwriter)

Birthdate: July 10, 1999

Sun Sign: Cancer

Birthplace: Lisbon, Portugal

Lio

(Singer)

Birthdate: June 17, 1962

Sun Sign: Gemini

Birthplace: Mangualde, Portugal

Carlota Joaquina of Spain

(Queen)

Birthdate: April 25, 1775

Sun Sign: Taurus

Birthplace: Royal Palace, Aranjuez, Spain

Died: January 7, 1830

Amélie of Orléans

(Queen consort)

Birthdate: September 28, 1865

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: Twickenham, London, England

Died: October 25, 1951

Eleanor of Austria

(Queen Consort of Portugal and France)

Birthdate: November 15, 1498

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Birthplace: Leuven, Belgium

Died: February 25, 1558

Maria Ramos

Birthdate: February 22, 1959

Sun Sign: Pisces

Birthplace: Lisbon

Maria Ramos is a Portuguese-born South African banker, corporate executive, and businesswoman. Since 2020, she has been serving as the chairperson of a global gold mining company called AngloGold Ashanti Limited. Her contributions have earned her several prestigious awards. Maria Ramos has also been featured on Fortune magazine’s 50 most powerful women list.

Luísa Sobral

(Singer-songwriter internationally known for composing the winning song in the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest)

Birthdate: September 18, 1987

Sun Sign: Virgo

Birthplace: Lisbon, Portugal

Mary I of Portugal

(Queen of Portugal)

Birthdate: December 17, 1734

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Birthplace: Lisbon, Portugal

Died: March 20, 1816

Mikaela Lupu

(Actress)

Birthdate: September 16, 1995

Sun Sign: Virgo

Birthplace: Moldova

Maria Pia of Savoy

(Consort)

Birthdate: October 16, 1847

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: Royal Palace, Turin, Sardinia

Died: July 5, 1911

Maria Pia of Savoy was an Italian princess who became the Queen of Portugal after marrying King Luís I of Portugal in 1862. She was the third queen to represent the House of Savoy. Maria Pia is best remembered for her compassion and charitable works. She was often referred to as the mother of the poor and angel of charity.

Eleanor of Portugal, Holy Roman Empress

(Empress)

Birthdate: September 18, 1434

Sun Sign: Virgo

Birthplace: Torres Vedras, Portugal

Died: September 3, 1467

Aurea

(Singer, Songwriter)

Birthdate: September 7, 1987

Sun Sign: Virgo

Birthplace: Santiago do Cacém, Portugal

Catarina Furtado

(Television presenter)

Birthdate: August 25, 1972

Sun Sign: Virgo

Birthplace: Lisbon, Portugal

Ticha Penicheiro

(Former Portuguese Basketball Player Who Played as a Point Guard)

Birthdate: September 18, 1974

Sun Sign: Virgo

Birthplace: Figueira da Foz, Portugal

Ticha Penicheiro is a Portuguese former basketball player who played as a point guard. She represented the Sacramento Monarchs for most of her career and helped the team win the WNBA Championship title in 2005. Penicheiro is counted among the greatest point guards of all time. She was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2019.

Maria Leopoldina of Austria

(Empress consort of Brazil and Queen consort of Portugal)

Birthdate: January 22, 1797

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: Vienna, Austria

Died: December 11, 1826

Born the Archduchess of Austria, Maria Leopoldina was a great painter and also grew up studying subjects such as botany and mineralogy. By virtue of her marriage to Pedro I of Brazil and IV of Portugal, she became the queen of Portugal and the empress of Brazil.

Infanta Marie Anne of Portugal

(Noblewomen)

Birthdate: July 13, 1861

Sun Sign: Cancer

Birthplace: Kloster Bronnbach, Wertheim am Main, Germany

Died: July 31, 1942

Infanta Maria Antonia of Portugal

(Aristocrat)

Birthdate: November 28, 1862

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Birthplace: Bronnbach, Germany

Died: May 14, 1959

Infanta Maria Antonia of Portugal was the second wife of Robert I, the duke of Parma. Born in exile, to Portuguese king Infante Miguel, who had been banished by his brother, Maria again went into exile in Canada after her husband’s death and eventually moved to Luxembourg after World War II.

Sophia de Mello Breyner Andresen

(Poet)

Birthdate: November 6, 1919

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Birthplace: Porto, Portugal

Died: July 2, 2004

Sophia de Mello Breyner Andresen was a Portuguese writer and poet whose remains have been entombed since 2014 in the National Pantheon. Her poetry has been translated into many world languages, including English. Sophia de Mello Breyner Andresen's life and career inspired a 1969 documentary short film, which was director João César Monteiro's first completed film.

Ana Moura

(Singer)

Birthdate: September 17, 1979

Sun Sign: Virgo

Birthplace: Santarém, Portugal

Find out more about the greatest Portuguese Women, including Daniela Ruah, Carmen Miranda, Amália Rodrigues, Maria Ramos and Soledad Miranda.