Sephardim.com

A Research Tool for
Sephardic Genealogy / Jewish Genealogy

by Harry Stein
Una Herramienta de Busqueda de Genealogia Sefardita/Judia.
Informacoes e genealogia Judaica.
We changed the face of Sephardic genealogy research

This site is a research tool for Sephardic and Jewish genealogy. We attempt to cover many facets of Sephardic culture and attempt to add new information daily.

SECTION I
CONCISE HISTORY OF THE SEPHARDIM.

When the Roman Legions overran the Jewish nation, much of the Jewish population was sent into exile throughout the Roman Empire. Many were sent to the IBERIAN peninsula. The area became known by the Hebrew word SEPHARD meaning “far away”. The JEWS in SPAIN and PORTUGAL became known as SEPHARDIM or SEPHARDI, and those things associated with the SEPHARDIM including names, customs, genealogy and religious rites, became known as SEPHARDIC. Sephardic names were well developed in Aragon by the year 1213. (Note reference 22, below.) Many of the names were of Hebrew derivation. A much lesser number were composed of a first name and a geographic location, many times the result of conversion. The Jewish nation in Iberia, numbering approximately 750,000 in the year 1492, were banished from Spain by royal decree of Ferdinand and Isabella. (Ferdinand’s grandmother was Jewish.) (For a description of the 1492 expulsion as written in 1495, see the link in Section IV, Lore) The Jews of Portugal, were banished by royal decree several years later. Relief from the banishment decrees and restoration of civil rights was promised to those Jews who remained and converted to Catholicism. These converts were called CONVERSOS or MARRANOS (converts or pigs in Spanish) and ANUSIM (forced ones in Hebrew). Some of the Jewish population converted in name only, other converted by choice. All of the Jews, whether those who left the country with their Jewish religious beliefs intact, and those that were converted are described as being SEPHARDIM or being of SEPHARDIC heritage. Many of the SEPHARDIM left Spain after conversion because life as a “new Christian” or Marrano was not as promised. “Clean Blood” laws were established to deny the “new Christian” the same civil rights as the “old Christian”. Many left the Iberian peninsula where some reverted, and others did not. The converted population that remained under the influence of Spanish or Portuguese control or the control of countries heavily influenced by the Catholic Church could not openly revert to Judaism for fear of punishment inflicted by the inquisition. The punishment for reversion or secret adherence varied from humiliation to death by fire. Many Hispanics today practice Jewish customs without knowing the source. Many are still secret Jews.

The names listed on this site have been identified as Sephardic by civil and religious records and creditable authors. These names have been used by Spanish and Portuguese Jews and conversos and many are found today, world wide in Hispanic and Sephardic communities and references. Some names may no longer exist in their old form. While not an expert in patronymics, some names, such as ABRAVANEL are unmistakably of Hebrew origin. Other names, such as IBN YAHIA, appear to be of Arabic origin. Still other names such as CASTRO and FRANCO appear to be of Hispanic origin, the vast majority of these names belonged to Jews at the time of expulsion. Still other names (conversion names or Christian names) were assigned to Jews at conversion, such as DE SEVILLA and SANTA MARIA. Many of these names were the family names of the Christian “sponsors”.

Many of the names have been changed in the course of migration from one country to another, such as Pena to Penha. Other names have incorporated a prefix such as D’, Da, De, or Do, with the surname, so that D’Avila could be spelled DAVILA. Other names normally found with a prefix, may be listed with or without the prefix. For example, d’ ANDRADE, da ANDRADE, de ANDRADE, may be listed as ANDRADE or ANDRADE ‘D. The following prefixes may sometime be interchangeable; Aben, Ibn, Aven, Avin and Ben. These prefixes may be found separated or attached to the stem name. It would be prudent to search for names both with and without prefixes.

One should check for variations in spelling. For example, the names Sejas, Cejas, Aceijas, Seixas, Aseixas, Acejas, Acezas, Asexas, Azeixas, and Xexas are considered variants of the same name. It should also be noted that many Sephardim who left the Iberian Peninsula and practiced Judaism, changed their names and used aliases to protect their families who remained in Spain and Portugal.

Some individuals insist that all names ending in ez in Spain and es (meaning son of) elsewhere, denote Sephardic heritage. This is may or may not be the case.

Not all individuals bearing these names may be SEPHARDIM, or of SEPHARDIC origin, nor are they necessarily Jewish or secret Jews. The authors of references from which names were extracted have identified the names as Jewish at one time. No inference is made that Hispanics carrying the names found below are Jewish. We have added a DNA capability to explore the ethnic origin of Anusim/Sephardic/Jewish names. The names on this site are provided only as an aid to genealogical research. Many of the references listed on this site can be obtained through your municipal public library system or through the Inter-library Loan program or purchased from a commercial firm on this site. Please understand that while names are the most important clue to one’s religious ancestry, names are not the only clue. NAMES ALONE ARE NOT THE ONLY CLUE . Confirming information is required to be sure.