Small for his age, his sister Rosa began to call him Garrincha, a north-eastern name for the wren, a small bird popular in Pau Grande.

很小的时候，他的姐姐罗莎开始喊他“加林查”，这是东北部人对鹪鹩，一种在波格兰德随处可见的小鸟的称呼。