I am also curious and would also be willing to do DNA testing. This also leads me to next consideration names! (*) Name for My Mother's maiden name is also Pi. Univesity, 2000. Language origins Everywhere, in medieval Spain included, Jews used Hebrew names. Click here. My parents raised me in the respect of God ever since I was born. I started to fill out the paper from NefeshB Nefesh and the Jewish Agency for Israel to make Aliyah, but they ask for proof of Judaism. Hello again, You asked for our surnames. Her mother's name Jaume. Ruth Reyes, "Sephardic Family Names from Puerto Rico", The Casa Shalom Journal, Volume 10, Published by The Institute for Marrano-Anusim Studies, Gan Yavneh, Israel 2008. cannot find the name in this list, I recommend to attach a prefix and look for Perhaps you needed to do more research before relocating to another country, whether Israel or Spain. 1. listed here represent the famous names of Jewish/Sephardic Argentina. from the book, A Origem Judaica dos Brasileiros, by Jose Geraldo Rodrigues de The Montalvo last name I know has an origin in Sephardic history, however I do not know what the hebrew translation is nor do I know where it came from. Trial by Haim Bienart. Curacao, a Dutch Carribbean island near Venuzuela was a Sephardic Jewish Colony established by The Netherlands during the slave trade. Genetic genealogy for the study of Puerto Rican, Spanish, and For example, my family's surname Coll. Don't know why thoughnothing specifically triggered it other then it was almost something I was "drawn" to. A History of the Marranos, by Cecil Roth. Puerto Rico Personal Names FamilySearch My mother last name was Lafontaine from Utuado P.R. I would like you to join our yahoo group http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PRGENEALOGY-NW which concentrates on genealogy in northwest PR, especially San Sebastian and Lares. Do you know what your Jimenez name was prior to the change? Do you need a professional genealogist to work on your Sephardic genealogy? I had an Aunt who lived in the mountainous area of Puerto Rico (Jibarro) while the rest of us lived in the city. Found 3 potential Majorcan Jew surnames (Sanchez, Acevedo and Chacon) in a DNA group project from Puerto Rico. My family are from the Mountians of PR in San Sebastian, Ive read stories on-line about Spaniards of Jewish decent running to the mountinas to escape prosecution. I suspect most surnames were probably adopted from godparents at the original baptisms, but I don't know. Some communities have very fixed systems with the first children named after specific grandparents. Anusim1@yahoo understand that I can help as much I can with genealogy but as far as religion goes I am a true jew not a mesianic person so I will be happy to help to the ones that want to learn and not play the two religions at once kind a deal.