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Sephardic surnames

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Sephardic Jewish surnames are an integral part of the cultural identity and heritage of the Jews who inhabited the Iberian Peninsula for centuries, before being expelled or forced to convert in the 15th and 16th centuries. These surnames, formed over a long historical period, reflect geographical origins, occupations, physical characteristics, and ancestral names, preserving the memory of a community dispersed after the expulsion from Spain in 1492 and Portugal in 1497. The Sephardic diaspora and descendants, known as Anussim, continue to use and remember these surnames, which today are also used for genealogical and legal recognition in processes for Spanish and Portuguese nationality.[1][2][3]

History

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The history of Sephardic Jews, or Iberian Jews, dates back to times before the Christian era, with evidence of Jewish presence on the Iberian Peninsula dating from the Roman period. However, it was during the Middle Ages that Sephardic Jews established a distinct cultural and religious identity. Under Muslim rule, particularly during the Caliphate of Córdoba (9th to 11th centuries), Iberian Jews thrived in various fields such as medicine, commerce, diplomacy, and religious studies, creating an intellectual legacy that still reverberates in Jewish history.[4][5][6]

During this period, the practice of adopting surnames became consolidated. Many of these names were influenced by the geographical location of Jewish communities, occupations, physical characteristics, or ancestral names. As the Christian Reconquista advanced, Jews began to face increasing restrictions. In 1492, the Catholic Monarchs, Ferdinand and Isabella, issued the Alhambra Decree, ordering the expulsion of Jews who refused to convert to Christianity. In 1497, King Manuel I of Portugal issued a similar decree, forcing Jews to either convert or go into exile.[7][8][9][10]

Those who were forced to convert to Christianity became known as "New Christians" or marranos. Those who maintained their Jewish faith and practices became part of the Sephardic diaspora, spreading across North Africa, the Ottoman Empire, the Netherlands, Italy, France, and the Americas.[11]

Bnei Anussim: The Descendants of Forced Converts

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Bnei Anussim (literally "children of the forced" in Hebrew) are the descendants of Sephardic Jews who were forced to convert to Christianity during the expulsions of 1492 and 1497. After conversion, many of these Jews continued to practice Judaism secretly, becoming known as crypto-Jews or marranos. The Inquisition, established in Portugal and Spain, sought to detect and punish any signs of Jewish practices, forcing these Jews to hide their religious traditions for generations.[12]

Over the following centuries, the Bnei Anussim secretly preserved traces of their Jewish ancestry, including family names, dietary customs, and Jewish rituals, which were passed down through generations. Today, many descendants of the anussim seek to reconnect with their Jewish roots, and traditional surnames play a key role in recovering these identities.

In recent years, Portugal and Spain have implemented laws that allow the naturalization of descendants of Sephardic Jews who were expelled or forced to convert, using genealogical evidence that includes the preservation of historical surnames.[13]

Prominent Sephardic Families

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Throughout history, several Sephardic families have stood out for their political, economic, and intellectual influence. Among the most prominent are:

Abravanel (or Abarbanel) Family

The Abravanel family was one of the most prominent in the Iberian Peninsula. Isaac Abravanel, one of the most distinguished members of the family, was a powerful adviser to the Catholic Monarchs. He also used his position to help fellow Jews flee Spain before the implementation of the Alhambra Decree. After fleeing, the Abravanel family continued to play a vital role in supporting Jewish communities in Italy and other parts of Europe. The family's wealth and influence enabled them to finance the escape of many persecuted Jews, saving countless lives.[14][15][16][17][18][19]

Gois Family

The Gois, or Goes, family was one of the most influential and wealthy Jewish families in Portugal during the Inquisition period. Known for their proximity to nobility, the Gois family held prominent positions in the Portuguese court, where they played a vital role in both the country's politics and economy. Jacob Nunes Gois and Isaac Nunes Gois were notable members of this family, both using their position and influence at court to protect the Jewish community.[20][21]

As court Jews, the Gois family had a vast network of contacts that allowed them to defend the interests of Portuguese Jews. They were deeply involved in commercial and financial activities that strengthened the position of the Jewish community within Portugal. The family used its wealth and influence to help persecuted Jews by organizing escape routes and providing temporary shelter.[22][23]

Jacob Nunes Gois, in particular, was one of the main orchestrators of these escape operations. Using his prominent position, he facilitated the departure of many Jews from Portugal, sending several families to Brazil, which had been recently discovered in 1500 and offered a safe refuge from the Inquisition's reach.[24] He financed maritime expeditions disguised as commercial missions, utilizing his extensive network of contacts and a strategic partnership with Bartolomeu Marchionni to ensure these operations were carried out with the utmost discretion. Isaac Nunes Gois also played a crucial role, using his commercial and financial connections to fund escapes and establish support networks for Jews who needed to leave Portugal quickly.[25][26][27][28]

The Gois family’s actions were essential not only in protecting the Jewish community in Portugal but also in the colonization of Brazil. Through their operations, they not only saved countless lives but also contributed significantly to the development of the Portuguese colony in the New World.[29][30]

Benveniste (or Benveniste Mendes) Family

The Mendes family, also known as Benveniste Mendes, was one of the wealthiest and most powerful families in Europe in the 16th century. Led by Francisco Mendes (Tzemá Benveniste), the Mendes family founded the Mendes Bank, one of the largest financial institutions of its time, with operations in Lisbon and Antwerp. Even after being forced to convert to Christianity, the Mendes family continued to practice Judaism in secret and used their extensive network of contacts to help other Jews escape the Inquisition.[31][32][33][34][35][36]

Dona Gracia Mendes Nasi, niece and widow of Francisco Mendes, played a crucial role in this effort. She used her wealth and influence to organize safe escape routes for persecuted Jews, primarily to the Ottoman Empire, where many found refuge. Dona Gracia was also a great benefactor of the Jewish people, establishing support and protection networks for Jewish communities across Europe.[37][38]

Curiel Family

The Curiel family is one of the most notable Sephardic Jewish families, tracing their origins to the Iberian Peninsula. The Curiels became prominent in the 16th century, particularly in Portugal, where they were deeply involved in commerce, diplomacy, and finance. Like many other Jewish families during the time of the Inquisition, they were forced to either convert to Christianity or flee the region. Several members of the family became crypto-Jews or conversos, outwardly professing Christianity while secretly adhering to Jewish practices.[39]

During the 16th century, the Curiel family played a significant role in Portugal's economic landscape. They were influential merchants, engaging in international trade and maintaining commercial ties across Europe and the Mediterranean. The Curiels were also active in financing maritime explorations, particularly during the golden age of the Portuguese empire. Their involvement in trade and finance established them as key figures in the broader Sephardic community.[40]

As diplomats and merchants, members of the Curiel family were instrumental in building and maintaining connections between the Jewish communities in Europe and the Ottoman Empire, where many sought refuge after fleeing persecution in Iberia. The Curiels also contributed to the leadership of Jewish communities in regions like the Netherlands and Italy, becoming well known for their economic and social contributions.[41]

In later years, descendants of the Curiel family emigrated to the Americas, with notable branches settling in the United States. In fact, research suggests that the Coryell family of Colonial New Jersey may have its origins in the Curiel family, further demonstrating the wide-reaching legacy of this Sephardic lineage.[42]

The story of the Curiel family exemplifies the resilience of the Sephardic Jews, who, despite the hardships of the Inquisition, managed to maintain their identity and influence across different regions and periods. Their impact on trade, diplomacy, and Jewish communal life continues to be recognized in Jewish history.[43]

List of Sephardic Surnames

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Sephardic surnames have a complex structure, often derived from geographical locations, occupations, or personal characteristics. Below is a detailed list of Sephardic surnames, organized by category:

Geographical Surnames Surnames that indicate a family's geographical origin, often associated with cities or regions in the Iberian Peninsula:

Toledo (city of Toledo, Spain) Zaragoza (city of Zaragoza, Spain) Lisboa (city of Lisbon, Portugal) Castro (region of Castro, Portugal) Seville (city of Seville, Spain) Occupational Surnames Surnames based on occupations or functions performed by family members:

Abecassis (from Arabic "father of the priest," a reference to religious leaders) Cohen (from Hebrew, "priest," a religious title associated with the priestly Jewish lineage) Levy (surname related to Levites, assistants to the priests in the Temple of Jerusalem) Nadler (carpenter, from German) Cabral (refers to goat herding) Patronymic and Personal Name-Based Surnames Surnames that derive from personal names, reflecting family lineage:

Benveniste (from Hebrew Ben Yishai, "son of Jesse") Abravanel (derived from the name Avraham, or Abraham, the biblical patriarch) Ibn Yahya (literally "son of John," from Arabic) Baruch (from Hebrew, "blessed") David (refers to the lineage of King David) Surnames Based on Personal Characteristics

Surnames describing physical traits or personality characteristics:

Blanco (from Spanish, "white," related to skin or hair color) Pardo (from Portuguese, "brown," referring to a darker complexion) Crespo (from Spanish, "curly-haired") Rubio (from Spanish, "blonde") Migration and Adaptation of Surnames As the Sephardic diaspora spread, these surnames were adapted to fit the different cultural and linguistic contexts of the regions where they settled. In the Ottoman Empire, for example, many Sephardic surnames were Arabized or Turkified, while in Latin America, there was a tendency for phonetic and grammatical adaptation to Spanish and Portuguese. The Bnei Anussim who remained in the Iberian Peninsula often adopted Christian surnames to conceal their Jewish identity, though many retained traces of their original names.[44]

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Today, Sephardic surnames play a central role in genealogical and legal recognition. Surnames listed by genealogical and legal institutions are used to identify descendants of Sephardic Jews who seek Spanish or Portuguese nationality.[45][46]

List of Marrano (Anussim) Surnames

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Portuguese Jewish Genealogy

Published by Nuno Guerreiro (journalist) in "Portuguese Jews in History."

Below is a list of family names and their places of origin, along with a bibliography of reference books. There is an extensive bibliography that can help trace the personal identity geography of many descendants of Portuguese Jews. Here are some of the most important reference books:

"History of the Marranos", Cecil Roth "Sangre Judía", Pere Bonnin "Secrecy and Deceit: The Religion of the Crypto-Jews", David Gitlitz "Os Marranos em Portugal", Arnold Diesendruck "A Origem Judaica dos Brasileiros", José Geraldo Rodrigues de Alckmin Filho "Dicionário Sefaradi de Sobrenomes", Guilherme Faiguenboim, Anna Rosa Campagnano, and [[Paulo Valadares (see Folha Online - Dicionário Viaja ao Passado dos Sefarditas - 06/01/2004) Crypto-Jewish Surnames in Portugal Here is a brief reference list of family names associated with “crypto-Jews”, primarily but not exclusively in the regions of Beira-Baixa, Trás-os-Montes, and Alentejo in Portugal:

Amorim, Azevedo, Alvares, Avelar, Almeida, Barros, Basto, Belmonte, Bravo, Cáceres, Caetano, Campos, Carneiro, Carvalho, Crespo, Cruz, Dias, Duarte, Elias, Estrela, Ferreira, Franco, Gaiola, Gonçalves, Guerreiro, Henriques, Josué, Leão, Lemos, Lobo, Lombroso, Lopes, Lousada, Macias, Machado, Martins, Mascarenhas, Mattos, Meira, Mello e Canto, Mendes da Costa, Miranda, Montesino, Morão, Moreno, Morões, Mota, Moucada, Negro, Nunes, Oliveira, Ozório, Paiva, Pardo, Pilão, Pina, Pinto, Pessoa, Preto, Pizzarro, Ribeiro, Robles, Rodrigues, Rosa, Salvador, Souza, Torres, Vaz, Viana, and Vargas.[47] Jewish Portuguese Family Names in the Diaspora (Holland, United Kingdom, and the Americas) Abrantes, Aguilar, Andrade, Brandão, Brito, Bueno, Cardoso, Carvalho, Castro, Costa, Coutinho, Dourado, Fonseca, Furtado, Gomes, Gouveia, Granjo, Henriques, Lara, Marques, Melo e Prado, Mesquita, Mendes, Neto, Nunes, Pereira, Pinheiro, Rodrigues, Rosa, Sarmento, Silva, Soares, Teixeira, and Teles (among many others).[48]

Jewish Surnames of Portuguese Origin in Latin America

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Almeida, Avelar, Bravo, Carvajal, Crespo, Duarte, Ferreira, Franco, Gato, Gonçalves, Guerreiro, Léon, Leão, Lopes, Leiria, Lobo, Lousada, Machorro, Martins, Montesino, Moreno, Mota, Macias, Miranda, Oliveira, Osório, Pardo, Pina, Pinto, Pimentel, Pizzarro, Querido, Rei, Ribeiro, Robles, Salvador, Solva, Torres, and Viana.[49] Family Names Most Frequently Cited in Inquisition Documents for "Relapsed" Jews Condemned for the Crime of Judaism Rodrigues — 453 individuals Nunes — 229 individuals Mendes — 224 individuals Lopes — 282 individuals Miranda — 190 individuals Gomes — 184 individuals Henriques — 174 individuals Costa — 138 individuals Fernandes — 132 individuals Pereira — 124 individuals Dias — 124 individuals Gois, Goes — 07 individuals

Abridged List of Jewish and Crypto-Jewish Family Names Taken from the Sephardic Surname Dictionary

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A Abreu, Abrunhosa, Affonseca, Affonso, Aguiar, Ayres, Alam, Alberto, Albuquerque, Alfaro, Alhadef, Almeida, Al-Mehida, Alonso, Alvade, Alvarado, Alvarenga, Álvares/Alvarez, Alvelos, Álveres, Alves, Alvim, Alvorada, Álves, Amado, Amaral, Amorim, Amoreira, Anchieta, Andrada, Andrade, Anta, Antônio, Antunes, Aragão, Arrabaca, Arroyo, Arroja, Araújo, Aspalhão, Assunção, Assumpção, Athayde, Ávila, Avis, Azeda, Azedo, Azeitado, Azeredo, Azevedo, Azulay.

B Bacelar, Balão, Balboa, Balieyro, Baltiero, Bandes, Brandes, Baptista, Barata, Barbalha, Barbosa, Bareda, Barrajas, Barreira, Balata, Barata, Baretta, Baretto, Barros, Bastos, Bautista, Beirão, Belinque, Belmonte, Bello, Bentes, Bernal, Bernardes, Bezzera, Bezerra, Bicudo, Bispo, Bivar, Boccoro, Boned, Bonsucesso, Borges, Borralho, Botelho, Bragança, Brandão, Bravo, Brites, Brito, Brum, Bueno, Bulhão, Bulhões.

C Cabaco, Cabral, Cabreira, Cabrera, Cáceres, Caetano, Calassa, Caldas, Caldeira, Caldeyrão, Callado, Camacho, Camara, Camelo, Camejo, Caminha, Campo, Campos, Candeas, Canudo, Canuto, Capote, Carceres, Cardoso/Cardoso, Carlos, Carneiro, Carranca, Carnide, Carreira, Carrilho, Carrollo, Carvalho, Carvalhal, Carvajal, Carza, Casado, Casqueiro, Casseres, Castaneda, Castenheda, Castanha, Castanho, Castelo, Castelo-branco, Castelhano, Castilho, Castro, Caiado, Cazado, Cazales, Ceya, Cerpa, Cespedes, Chacla, Chacon, Chaves, Chito, Cid, Cobilhos, Coche, Coelho, Collaço, Contreiras, Cordeiro, Corgenaga, Coronel, Correa, Cortez, Corujo, Coruja, Costa, Coutinho, Couto, Covilha, Crasto, Cruz, Cunha.

D Damas, Daniel, Datto, Delgado, Devet, Diamante, Dias, Diniz, Dionisio, Dique, Doria, Dorta, Dourado, Drago, Duarte, Durães.

E Ebreu, Efraim, Eliate, Escobar, Espadilha, Espiga, Espinhosa, Espinoza, Esteves, Évora.[50][51][52][53][54][55][56][57][58][59]

References

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