Miles,
The name Teves (or de Teves) in its Portugese incarnation is almost excusively from the island of Sao Miguel in the Azores. I can't emphasize this enough. The name is almost non-existant on other islands in the Azores and in mainland Portugal. The name, however, has its roots in middle Europe, probably France. There may also be a possible Jewish connection since the name Teves is also the name of a month in the Jewish calender. I haven't, however, been able to link the two together. I live in California, but I was born in on the island of Kauai in Hawaii. My father, grandfather worked for the Koloa Sugarcane Plantation. My great-grandfather, Luis Jose de Teves was from San Jose Ponta Delgada, Sao Miguel. All the Teves' came to Hawaii in the late 19th century to work in the sugar cane plantations. I think I am on firm ground in telling you that all of us Teves' are related. You and I are cousins, we just don't know exactly how. Are your relatives from Kauai? There were two Teves families on the island who inexplicably didn't know each other. If you would like to discuss this in depth, please email me at
drteves@citlink.net David Teves (Loved Robocop, by the way)