Sephardic Jewish names.

Sephardic Jewish names reflect the long, multilingual history of Jews from medieval Spain and Portugal and the wide diaspora that followed their expulsions in 1492 and 1496. Many surnames originated on the Iberian Peninsula before the expulsions, while others were adopted later by families who converted under pressure or by those who re‑established Jewish life in new communities across the Ottoman Empire, North Africa, Italy, the Netherlands, and the Caribbean. These names fall into several major categories: patronymic names derived from ancestors (such as Abendana or Abenafia), place‑based names referencing towns in Spain or later settlement regions, and occupational or descriptive names tied to trades, physical traits, or family characteristics.

As Sephardic Jews migrated, their surnames often adapted to local languages, creating a rich blend of Hebrew, Arabic, Spanish, Portuguese, and later Ladino influences. Today, Sephardic surnames such as Abulafia, Toledano, and Benaim continue to preserve the cultural memory of centuries of movement, resilience, and identity.