Carneiro is a common Portuguese and Galician surname, meaning "sheep". It was very likely either a metonymic occupational name for a shepherd, or a habitational name derived from any of the several places called Carneiro in the North of Portugal.
Notable people with the surname include:
Alberto Carneiro, Portuguese artist
António Carneiro, Portuguese Expressionist painter, illustrator, poet and art professor
Antônio Ernesto Gomes Carneiro, Brazilian military officer who fought in the Paraguayan War
António de Mariz Carneiro, Portuguese nobleman who served as the official cosmographer to the Portuguese crown
Antonio dos Reis Carneiro, Brazilian basketball administrator
António Soares Carneiro, Portuguese military officer and politician
Carlos Carneiro, Portuguese footballer
Carlos Carneiro, Portuguese handballer
Enéas Carneiro, Brazilian physician and politician
Eva Carneiro, British sports medicine specialist
Flávio Carneiro, Brazilian writer
Francisco Higino Carneiro, Angolan military officer and politician
Francisco Sá Carneiro, Portuguese politician and former Prime Minister of Portugal
Honório Hermeto Carneiro Leão, Brazilian politician, diplomat, judge and monarchist of the Empire of Brazil
Joana Carneiro, Portuguese conductor
João Emanuel Carneiro. Brazilian screenwriter
Jorge García Carneiro, Venezuelan politician
José da Gama Carneiro e Sousa, Portuguese count who served as the sixth Prime Minister of Portugal
Juliana Carneiro da Cunha, Brazilian actress
Keirrison de Souza Carneiro, Brazilian footballer
Luís Carlos Pereira Carneiro, Portuguese footballer
Marcos Carneiro de Mendonça, Brazilian footballer
Mário de Sá-Carneiro, Portuguese poet and writer
Melchior Carneiro, Portuguese Jesuit missionary bishop
Newton Carneiro Affonso da Costa, Brazilian mathematician, logician, and philosopher
Paulo Henrique Carneiro Filho, Brazilian footballer
Pedro Carneiro, Portuguese musician
Roan Carneiro, Brazilian mixed martial artist
Robert L. Carneiro, American anthropologist and curator of the American Museum of Natural History
Tiago Carneiro, Portuguese footballer
Tiago Carneiro da Cunha, Brazilian artist
