Sephardi

Names

The Sephardim usually followed the general rules for Spanish and Portuguese names. They generally bear Portuguese and Spanish first names, as Aleqria, Angel, Angela, Amado, Amada, Bienvenida, Blanco, Cara, Cimfa, Comprado, Consuela, Dolza, Edery, Esperanza, Estimada, Estrella, Fermosa, Gracia, Luna, Niña, Palomba, Preciosa, Sol, Ventura, and Zafiro; and such Spanish or Portuguese surnames as Afanador, Belmonte, Benveniste, Bueno, Calderón, Campos, Cardoso, Cardoze, Cardozo, Castro, Clemente, Cordova, Curiel, Delgado, Delvalle, Fidanque, Fonseca, Guerreiro, Henríquez, Josué, Leon, Levy Maduro, Lima, Maduro, Mercado, Monzon, Nunes, Osorio, Pacheco, Pardo, Penedo, Pereira, Pinto, Prado, Rocamora, Salvador, Sarabia, Sasso, Sousa, Suasso, Toledano, Tarragona, Valencia, Zapatero, Zaporta, and Zebede. Note that many of these names are by no means exclusive to Jews.

Related Topics:
Spanish and Portuguese names - Aleqria - Angel - Angela - Amado - Amada - Bienvenida - Blanco - Cara - Cimfa - Comprado - Consuela - Dolza - Edery - Esperanza - Estimada - Estrella - Fermosa - Gracia - Luna - Niña - Palomba - Preciosa - Sol - Ventura - Zafiro - Afanador - Belmonte - Benveniste - Bueno - Calderón - Campos - Cardoso - Cardoze - Cardozo - Castro - Clemente - Cordova - Curiel - Delgado - Delvalle - Fidanque - Fonseca - Guerreiro - Henríquez - Josué - Leon - Levy Maduro - Lima - Maduro - Mercado - Monzon - Nunes - Osorio - Pacheco - Pardo - Penedo - Pereira - Pinto - Prado - Rocamora - Salvador - Sarabia - Sasso - Sousa - Suasso - Toledano - Tarragona - Valencia - Zapatero - Zaporta - Zebede

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In contrast to Ashkenazic Jews, who do not name newborn children after living relatives, Sephardic Jews often name their children after the children's grandparents, even if they are still alive. The first son and daughter are traditionally named after the paternal grandparents, and then the maternal parent's names are next up in line for the remaining children. After that, additional children's names are "free", so-to-speak, meaning that one can choose whatever name, without anymore "naming obligations." The only instance in which Sephardic Jews will not name after their own parents when one of the spouses shares a common first name with a mother/father-in-law (since Jews will not name their children after themselves.) There are times though when the "free" names are used to honor the memory of a deceased relative who died young or childless. These conflicting naming conventions can be troublesome when children are born into mixed Ashkenazic-Sephardic households.

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Other Sephardic Pedigrees

• Abravanel
• Alcalay
• Bernays
• Costa
• Epstein
• Horowitz

:See also List of Jewish surnames, Spanish and Portuguese names, List of Sephardic People

Related Topics:
List of Jewish surnames - Spanish and Portuguese names - List of Sephardic People

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