It will be helpful for the reader of this section to first go to the page about the general origins of Jewish names (just click here). This will provide a better basis for understanding this section.

Because Jewish Sephardic names are often so ancient, discovering the origins and meanings of these names can be of interest. There is no way I can list all Sephardic names here, but this is a sampling that can give the reader an idea. I have elected to skip Jewish names that were simply adopted from existing spanish names (Rodriguez, Henriquez, etc.) because I cannot provide a meaning to them of Jewish interest other than that they were adopted from Spanish names - usually their Catholic godfather when forcibly converted. Many of these families reverted to Judaism when able to do so.

Please do not write to ask about the meaning of your own name. I am flooded with queries as it is and already feel guilty at my inability to get to them all. If your name is not listed, make it a project to discover its meaning. Start by going to my listing of books and search for yourself. Be a detective. That is what makes genealogy fun!

Name	Variants	Origin	Meaning	Notes
Abenrey	Malka,Ben Rey,Ibn Rey,Avenreyna,Ben Melekh,Reyno,Soberano	Hispanic-Arabic	son of king
Abitbol	Toboul,Abitboul (see also Botbol)	Arabic	Drummer (taboula)
Abrabanel,Abravanel	unk	unk		ancient family said to descend from King David
Abulafia	Boulafia, Alafia	Arabic	Possessor of strength/health or well being (afia)	some Moslem families carry this name.
Aknin	Aqnine, ben Aknine	Berber	Jacob
Albaz	Elbaz,Elvas,ben..	Arabic	Falconer, also locality in spain
Alfassi	Elfassi,Fasi,Defaz	Arabic	from Fez, Morocco
Anonios		Greek	Eternal	Romaniote name, found in Ioannina
Aragon	De Aragon	Spanish	from Aragon	Moslems and Jews both carry this name
Arapis		Greek	Arabic	Romaniote name found in Ioannina
Ashkenazi	Eshkanazi, Eskinazi	Hebrew	means German
Assouline	Asulin,ben..,Benasuly	Berber	Rocks
Azulay	ben..	Berber or Spanish	Good (Ber), blue eyes (Sp)
Barcilon	Barchilon,Barcilon,Bargeloni	Hebrew	old name of Barcelona
Ben Sushan	ben Sussan	Persian	name of ancient Persian capital
Botbol	Tebol,Boutbol. (See also Abitbol)	Arabic	drum maker or seller
Cabalero	Caballero,Cabaliero	Spanish	Knight or horseman
Cardoza	Cartoso,	Spanish/Port.	from town in Guadalajara, Spain or Viseu, Port
Caro		Spanish	dear or beloved
Carvalho	Cabalo	Portuguese	Oaktree, town in Portugal
Castorianos		Greek	Romaniote name from Castoria
Castro	Decastro	Spanish/Portuguese	Jewish fortress in Leon
Charbit	Sharbit	Hebrew	Sceptre
Cohen	multiple combined names	Hebrew	Priest
Crespin	Crispin,Crispin,aven..,ben..	Spanish	Spanish Curly (hair)
Dalyan	Dalven	Turkish	fishnets/fishpond	found in Ioannina
Danon	Dondon,aben..,.abendanno	Spanish/Heb	Judge
Dayan		Hebrew	Judge
De Aragon	Ragon. (See also Aragon)	Spanish	Kingdom in Spain
De Fez	Alfassi	Arabic	from Fez, Morocco
De Silva	Da Silva	Spanish/Portuguese	from the forest (Silva) blackberry bush
De Soto	Soto, Del Soto	Spanish	Swamp
Enriquez	Henriquez, Henriques	Spanish	Son of Henri	Spanish/Portug name adopted by converso family at forced conversion
Ferreres	Ferares, ben..	Spanish	Blacksmith, or from towns in Majorca or Zamora
Foinquinos	Follinquinos,Foyinquinos	Greco-Latin	Phonecian
Franco	Franca can be seen as first name	Spanish	Freed (from taxes or bondage)
Gabbay	Gabai,Avin..,Cabay	Hebrew	In talmudic era were alms collectors, in Spain:tax collectors
Gaguin	Gagin	Spanish	Town in Pontevedra, Spain
Galanos		Greek	Blue-eyed
Guedalia	Guadella,Guedalha	Hebrew	Elevated by God
Hakim	Elhakim,Alhakim,Hkim	Arabic	Physician or sage
Halfon	Khalfon,Jalfon,Alfon,Halpen	Arabic	Replacement (like Makhlouf)
Hamu	Hammou,Hamuy	Arabic	Father-in-law,heat (Ham Hebr), Berber tribe
Hasdai	Hasday, Chasdai, ben .., Acday, Azday	Aramaic	Goodness
Hazan	Azan,Chasan,Ha-Hazan	Hebrew	Official,cantor
Kampanaris		Greek	Bells	Romaniote name found in Ioannina, Greece
Kokkinos		Greek	Red (redhead?)	Romaniote name
Laredo		Spanish	Town in Santander,Castile
Levy	Halevy,Levita	Hebrew	Levy tribe
Lombroso		Spanish	Translation of Hebrew Nehora or Eir, luminous
Lugasi	Lugashi	Arabic	From town of Lugas in Oviedo
Maimon	ben..,Mainonides,Mimon,Maymo	Hebrew	Fortunate,lucky
Malka	ben Melekh,Soberano,Ibn Rey,Reino,Malki,Abimelekh	Aramean	King in Aramean, From Malaga
Malqui	Malka,Almalqui,Almalki,Maleque,Malaki	Spanish	from Malaga
Mandil		Arabic	Apron
Marcus	Marcos	Spanish	plural of Marco (measuring weight)
Medina	De Medina	Hebrew, Arabic	State (Hebr.); town (Arab.); several in Spain
Mizrahi	see also Ben Ashurqui, De Levante, Shuraqui	Hebrew	Eastern
Montefiore		Italian	from Montefiore in Papal states
Moreno	ben..	Spanish	Brown
Nahon		Heb/Spanish	from town of Naon in Oviedo, Spain
Nahman	ben Nahman	Biblical	Lord will heal or console
Navaro	Nabaro	Spanish	Navarre kingdom
Obadya	Obadiah, Ovadia, Abdias, etc	Hebrew	Servant of God
Ohanna	O'Hana, Bohana, Abuhana, Abuhenna	Berber (O=son)	son (O) of Hanna
Ohayon		Berber (O=son) + Hebrew (Hayon)	son (O) of Life (Hayon)
Oiknine	Waknin, Ouaknin, ben.., etc.	Berber	Son of Jacob
Patish	Betache (N. Africa)	Hebrew	Hammer	In Greece, N. Africa
Perez		Biblical	The grandson of Jacob
Pereira		Portuguese	Peartree	Many Jews forced to convert to Chritianity took on the names of trees.
Pinto	De Pinto, Pynto	Spanish/Portuguese	Town near Madrid; also chick
Pisa		Italian	Town in Italy
Rabi	Ribbi, ben..	Hebrew	My Rabbi
Rofe	Ha Rofe, Roffe, Rophe, see also Del Medico	Hebrew	Physician
Rosales	Rozales	Spanish	Rosebush, from towns in Spain
Sabah	Caba	Arabic	Morning
Saltiel	Shaltiel, Chaltiel	Hebrew	Asked of G-d
Santob	Shemtob, Sentob, Sento	Hebrew	Good name
Sasson	Çaçon,Sassoon	Hebrew	Happiness
Sebag	Sabag, Assabagh, Essebagh, etc.	Arabic	Dyer of cloth
Senor	Senior, Bonsenyor, Ben Senor, Bonsignour	Spanish	Elder, Sir
Serfati	Sarfati, Zarfati, Ha-Zarfatti, Hasserfaty	Hebrew	Frenchman
Sevillano		Spanish	From Sevilla, Spain
Shalom	ben..	Hebrew	Peace
Shuraqui	ben, Souraqi, Shouraqui; (see also Mizrahi)	Arabic	Easterner
Soberano	see Malka	Spanish	Sovereign	see Malka
Silva	see da Silva	Spanish/Portuguese
Sofer	HaSoffer, Soffer, Sopher	Hebrew	Scribe, notary
Soriano		Spanish	From Soria in Spain
Soto	De Soto, Del Soto	Spanish	Marshland
Tangier	Tanjir, Tanzir, Tandjir	Berber	clay cooking pot
Turqui	El Turqui, Eturki, Atturki	Arabic	Turk
Uaknin	Waknin, see Oiknine	Berber
Uziel	Oziel, Uzziel, Ouziel, etc.	Biblical	God is my Strength
Valensi	Balenci	Arabic, Spain	from Valencia
Veniste	Beniste, Benveniste,	Spanish	You came
Verdugo	Berdugo	Spanish	Branch (of tree)
Vidal	Vital, Vitalis, Bitales, Viton, Hayyim, etc.	Latin	Life
Zadoq	Sadoc, Zadoc, Acencadoque, Aben Cadoc, Sadox, etc	Biblical	Just
Zafrani	Ezafrani, Alzafrani, etc.		from Zafaran (in Persia)