Carvalhal

Carvalhal is a place name of Portuguese origin meaning "oak grove." It is formed from Carvalho (oak) and the suffix -al, which is commonly used in place names to denote a locality or grove. The term is used to name multiple geographic locations, particularly in Portugal, where several civil parishes and settlements bear the name Carvalhal, often reflecting historical landscapes where oak trees were prominent or protected.

Beyond Portugal, the toponym appears in other Portuguese-speaking countries, notably Brazil, where municipalities or localities have adopted the same name for neighborhoods or districts. Carvalhal is also encountered as a surname among Portuguese-speaking populations and may be found in genealogical records, land registries, and electoral rolls.

Because Carvalhal denotes more than one place, precise references typically require specifying the municipality or district. In encyclopedic and gazetteer contexts, Carvalhal is treated as a disambiguation term linking to individual articles on each locality or surname.