Umbanda
/ũˈbɐ̃dɐ/noun
A Brazilian religion that blends African, Indigenous, Catholic, and Spiritist elements.
Did you know?Umbanda emerged in early 20th-century Brazil and is widely understood as a syncretic tradition rather than a word with a single ancient root, so its exact name origin remains debated in scholarship.
Etymological Timeline
Early 20th Century
Portuguese
Umbanda
“A new Brazilian religious movement centered on spirit communication, healing, and ritual”
19th Century
French
spiritisme
“Spiritism, the doctrine of communication with spirits popularized by Allan Kardec”
19th Century
Portuguese
espiritismo
“Spiritism in Portuguese, a major influence on Umbanda”
19th-20th Century
African/Brazilian
macumba / candomblé
“Afro-Brazilian ritual traditions and religious frameworks that shaped Umbanda”
20th Century
Brazilian Portuguese
Umbanda
“The name adopted for a syncretic religion combining spiritist, African, and Catholic elements”
Explore more surprising origins