Pedro de Ataíde "Inferno" was the 8th Captain-major of Portuguese Ceylon.

[2] According to the Jesuit chronicler Fernão de Queiroz, Ataíde had already participated as captain-major in the defense of the fortress of Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, in 1564, alongside the previous captain-major, Baltasar Guedes de Sousa, who, although wounded, was also present in the battles against the Sinhalese forces that were trying to conquer the city.

Also according to Queiroz, during this battle Pedro de Ataíde "showed the mettle of his valour gaining the renown of which they robbed him by nicknaming him Hell [Inferno]".

[3] He was the namesake of another Pêro de Ataíde (c. 1450 - 1505), also nicknamed "Hell", captain of the ship São Pedro in the fleet of Pedro Álvares Cabral, who later returned to India in the 4th Portuguese India Armada, commanded by Admiral Vasco da Gama.

Given the similarity of the name and the nickname he received, it is very likely that he was a close relative of this Pêro de Ataíde, perhaps his paternal grandson, who is named in the late 18th century book on Portuguese noble families ("Nobiliário") by Manuel Felgueiras Gaio.