Thank you for your email. I am now receiving so many enquiries about Sephardic genealogy that I am unable to respond to all of them individually. I hope the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) below will be helpful.
Please explore this website and the associated YouTube channel, where you will find expert talks covering various aspects of Sephardic history and genealogy.
Can I hire you as a genealogist?
Yes, if your project focuses on research in the archives of Sephardic diaspora communities and the Inquisition. I do not conduct DNA research or speculative research into potential Sephardic ancestry.
Genealogical research can be expensive, so you should have a clear goal in mind and hire a genealogist familiar with the archives relevant to your ancestors. When contacting a genealogist, provide details of your earliest proven ancestors, including names, dates, and locations.
If your question is speculative, for example, seeking to confirm whether you have Sephardic ancestry, be aware that such research can become costly with no guaranteed outcome. In such cases, I recommend joining your local genealogical society and conducting research yourself—it is an enjoyable and rewarding endeavour.
Can you help with Portuguese and Spanish nationality applications?
I can assist with the genealogical aspect of an application. However, I am not legally qualified to offer immigration advice.
- The Spanish nationality concession for Sephardim has closed, but those of Sephardic ancestry legally resident in Spain can obtain citizenship after two years of residency rather than the usual five. In rare cases, citizenship may be granted through the Royal Prerogative.
- The situation in Portugal is evolving. Reports suggest that the immigration bureaucracy is overwhelmed, and there are concerns about the processes of the two synagogues tasked with confirming Sephardic ancestry. If you have documented Sephardic ancestry and your case is already with the Ministry of Justice, I may be able to help with the genealogical aspects of your application.
DNA/Genetic genealogy
I am not a genetic genealogist, so please consider this general guidance rather than authoritative advice:
- Expert talks on DNA and Sephardic genealogy can be found on the Sephardic Genealogy YouTube channel.
- DNA testing should complement, not replace, archival research.
- Autosomal DNA tests (like Family Finder) can identify common ancestry within five or six generations but are not useful for identifying ancestors from hundreds of years ago.
- You may inherit no genetic material from some ancestors due to random recombination over generations.
- DNA cannot indicate how an ancestor identified or how others classified them.
- Ethnicity estimates provided by testing companies vary, as each company uses different algorithms and reference populations.
- Visit this page.
Having Ashkenazi DNA does not indicate Sephardic ancestry.
For patrilineal descent (father’s father’s father, etc.), consider taking a Y-DNA test with FamilyTreeDNA and comparing your results with the Avotaynu DNA Study. There is a small chance of matching with a known Sephardic lineage.
Do I have a Sephardic surname?
See this page for more information.
My family is Spanish or Portuguese Catholic and I think we have Sephardic ancestry
It is possible but difficult to prove. If even a small percentage of the medieval population was Jewish, many people today could have some Jewish ancestry after 20 generations. You must consider how meaningful this is to you, as you will likely have many more Catholic ancestors.
To research possible Jewish ancestry, trace relevant family lines back to at least the mid-18th century. Then, investigate whether these ancestors or their relatives were described as New Christians or faced Inquisition persecution for Judaizing. This process can be time-consuming and costly. If you hire a genealogist, ensure they are experienced with the relevant archives for the regions your ancestors lived in.
Can I trust online family trees?
Many online family trees, including those on Ancestry, MyHeritage, and Geni.com, contain errors. Sephardic genealogy is especially challenging due to the mobility of people in the Atlantic world, variations in names, and multiple relatives with the same names in the same generations.
Do not trust an online family tree unless each genealogical claim is backed by archival sources.
I want to trace back to the 1492 Expulsion
Tracing ancestors who left Iberia during the expulsions is difficult, and tracing back to 1492 itself is even more challenging.
Some Sephardic families, especially from Morocco, claim descent from prominent Iberian rabbis, but there is often no archival evidence to support or disprove these traditions.
Surnames can sometimes suggest a place of origin (e.g., “Toledano” may indicate Toledo), but surnames were not fixed until relatively late. An ancestor may have had a different surname from their grandparent or adopted a surname for reasons unrelated to geography, such as honouring a godparent.
In some Eastern Sephardic communities, synagogues were named after founders’ places of origin (e.g., an “Evora” synagogue in Salonika), which may be more reliable than surnames but still lacks genealogical proof.
Most Western Sephardim had recent origins in Portugal, although they may have lived in Spain or elsewhere before that. It is sometimes possible to trace these families back to the Iberian peninsula, but often there is an element of luck, depending on where families lived and what records survive.
Jewish records from the Inquisition era in Spain and Portugal are lost. Detailed parish record-keeping only began in the 1560s, and even then, not all parishes complied, and some records have since been lost.
I am Ashkenazi Jewish and believe I have Sephardic ancestry
Certificates of Sephardic ancestry and ‘Surname Reports‘
Proper genealogy adheres to codes such as the Genealogical Proof Standard and the Code of Conduct of the Sephardic Genealogical Society, which require evidence for every genealogical claim.
Some groups and individuals offer certificates of Sephardic ancestry or surname reports. As far as I am aware, these do not meet the accepted standards and may be worthless or even fraudulent.
If you need to establish your Jewish status, contact a qualified Beth Din (Jewish court), such as the Sephardic Beth Din in London. They may require genealogical proof of Jewish ancestry on your direct maternal line.
Crypto-Jews and Bnei Anusim
See this page for further information
Can I connect to an ancient Tribe of Israel?
By tradition, Jews with the surname Levi/Levy/Halevy and its variants are believed to descend from the tribe of Levi, and those with the surname Cohen/HaCohen from Aaron, the brother of Moses. Although DNA studies have reviewed these traditions, there are no archival records to confirm them.
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