salgado

Salgado is a surname of Portuguese origin. The adjective salgado means salted or seasoned in Portuguese, and the surname may be toponymic, originating from a place associated with salt production, a salt trade, or coastal features.

As a family name, Salgado is common in Portugal and Brazil, and in other Portuguese-speaking communities. One internationally known bearer is Sebastião Salgado (born 1944), a Brazilian documentary photographer whose work highlights social issues and the natural world; his projects include Workers and Genesis.

Geographically, the name Salgado appears in the toponymy of several places in Portugal and Brazil, as well as in other Lusophone regions, where villages and districts incorporate Salgado in their names. The distribution reflects historical associations with salt production and coastal landscapes.

In language and culture, salgado denotes salted or savory in Portuguese. The term is used in everyday speech and in food culture to refer to savory snacks, often sold as salgados in bakeries and street markets. Typical salgados include items such as coxinha, empada, and pastel, among others.