Why do so many Brazilian players have one-word names?

Brazilian naming customs are different from the US: [Given Name(s)] [Mother Surname(s)] [Father Surname(s)] This structure can make the person have a small name ([Maria] [Ribeiro] [Costa]) or a big name ([Maria Eduarda] [de Castro Santos] [Salgado da Costa]). Socially speaking, it is easier for people to go only by their given names or to have a nickname to differentiate them from other people with the same given name(s) in a particular universe. For example, consider these two names: - Maria Eduarda de Castro Santos Salgado da Costa - Maria Eduarda Fontes Saldanha   Both of them could be socially called Maria, Eduarda, Maria Eduarda or nicknamed as Duda (hypocoristic for Maria Eduarda). But if they share the same social circle, people can call one of them in a different way (if one of them is the younger one, she may be nicknamed as Dudinha - Little Duda) or use their last names in order to distinguish them (Duda Costa x Duda Saldanha or only Costa x Saldanha if these are enough to resolve the ambiguity within the social circle). Last names are often used in academic and professional circles, due the higher probability of having more than two people with the same given names. If this name distinction is not socially needed, it may never be used. In football, it is uncommon to have two players with the same given names on the same team or league because, since they attend football schools since their early ages, they had a higher chance to encounter somebody with the same given names and thus, adopted a distinctive nickname from a early age. A famous example of this was Ronaldo. In 1994, he was called Ronaldinho (little Ronaldo) to distinguish him from Ronaldão (big Ronaldo, which was older and stronger than he was). Ronaldão: Ronaldinho: Then, in 1999, the now-older "Ronaldinho" became Ronaldo to distinguish him from the newcomer, younger Ronaldo (which became the world well-known Ronaldinho). Even in Brazilian media, they would distinguish them by Ronaldinho (elder) and Ronaldinho Gaúcho (Gaúcho coming from the patronymic of the state that the younger one was born). Ronaldo (Ronaldinho): Ronaldinho (Ronaldinho Gaúcho): [EDIT] Here are some facts about "names" in Brazil: There is only one restriction regarding "given names" in Brazil: the public notary may refuse to issue a birth certificate if he sees that the given name could cause public embarassement to the newborn in future situations (like naming the kid as Adolf Hitler, Tinky Winky, Herp Derp). If the public notary, nevertheless, issued the birth certificate with an "infamous" given name, the holder of that given name may apply to legally change it to a more socially proper name after his/her 18th birthday. There are NO limitations regarding foreign (Karl), stylized (Washynggtton instead of Washington) or invented names (Khaleesi) neither regarding the amount of "given names". In immigrant communities (usually the japanese or arabs communities), it is common to people bear two "given names": a social "portuguese" one and another "foreign" one (ex. Fernanda Miyuki Nakamura or Gustavo Khalid Al-Maktoub). Such people can be called by their "portuguese" name outside the community and by their "foreign" one inside of them. There are cases of people only with their mother surnames. This is because they have no legal "father"  (which means that no male partner recognized a particular person as his child, it happens a lot with single or adulterous mothers). These people may adopt their stepdad's name (if there is one), pursue legally the right to bear their biological fathers name or leave just as it is (it makes little to no difference socially speaking). A wife is not obliged to adopt her husband's surname (thus standing with her maiden name, if she wants to), a husband CAN adopt his wife's surname or both of them can mix their surnames (in order to create a new branch on the genealogic tree) after marriage. Many people decide to retain their names because changing them would end in the nuisance of reissuing all of their documents (ID Cards, CPFs, Labor Cards) with the "new full name".

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XUXA PELE LULA Brazilian culture is informal, playful, and somewhat infantilized. Everyone gets a nickname. There is a heavy use of diminutives. The word "brincar"  is common and can range from children at play to being playful in conversation to having sex. The use of nicknames for public figures is a natural expression of Brazilians feeling like one big family.