The family De Morais were from the first settlers by 1590 in the Nuevo Reino de Vizacaya y Nuevo Reino de León in New Spain, now known as Coahuila, Durango and Nuevo León, Mexican States. Manuel Abraham de Morais was known as a distinguished Rabbi and physician. He left descendants in these regions, before he left to travel to Venice Italy where he died. Their descendants have changed to Morales surname (more Spanish). In Saltillo and Torreón Coahuila, as well in Monterey Nuevo León Mexico, their descendants still conserve this surname. Those identified in these lineage are intellectuals, writers, musicians, physicians and scientists. They have contributed to maintain a kind of Jewish primacy for knowledge, but unfortunately they have lost their cultural and religious links to Judaism. Personally I'm working to have a more clear perspective of this lineage. Any information about Manuel Abraham de Morais' family will be very useful, specially if these data are from Portugal, Spain or Italy, before 1590.

Manuel and/or Abraham de Moraes arrived with The Cravajals'. He was a notorious and eminent personage amongst all the crypto-jews Carvajal people. He was a physician and Rabbi. He left a huge heritage of prayers, songs and rituals to the Sephardic Novohispanics. He had a numerous descendants in the Nuevo Reino de Leon and in Mexico City. He stayed in New Spain until 1548 when he left to Spain. Make a short scale in La Habana, Cuba. The last report of his existence was Venice around 1587 integrated to the Jewish community. Some reports indicate that he was by 1595 at Tessalonia and was known as Abraham de Moraes.Altough other reports indicate his death by the Inquisition in 1593. Manuel Abraham de Morais married to Isabel Perez/Lopez, also with Jewish ancestry. His children were Ana de Morais, Leonor de Morais, Diego de Morais and Antonio de Morais. At his arrival to New Spain at Tampico Nuevo Reino Reino de Leon, he was accompanied by his brother Andres de Moraes, his sister Blanca de Moraes, his nephew Antonio de Moraes and his wife Isabel and his daughter Ana.

Immigration

Well recently, the Glotzer surname has pop-up in my paternal linage. This is a an Ashkenazi surname, that very well corresponds to my Y-DNA ancestors, and explains why I do have several Ashkenazi matches in FTDNA.

But from my maternal linage De Morais is definitively a Sephardic surname that is not accepted in the Sephardic Project in FTDNA (Alain Farhi administrator).

Jesse

I really don't know what they know, that causes them to consider themselves ''experts'' on names. I just typed in my first name to see what would come up for meaning, and the answer which came was...''English''. EVERYBODY knows that Linda is a spanish name originally, ,perhaps used in
the U.S. as a more popular name after the 1050's.

I agree, and it sounds funny. Well I think is time to create an expertise in the field. Thank you for your comment! So what's your surname?

My surname is Lorton. A lot of my ancestors had Hebrew first and second names, and I have been looking for a Jewish link for years. I finally discovered a Lorton who was born in Germany, name, Israel Lorton, who immigrated to U.S. in the 1700's. I knew that a German would not name his son ''Israel'', so suspected he was a German Jew. I began with only a ''feeling'', then recently someone more capable then I, did my family tree, and I discovered that ''my'' Israel Lorton was my great great great great great great.....Grandfather! ''Hi, Grandpa''!!

Gentle_Shadow

Thank you for your message. Sorry for this delayed response. Indeed I'm very well impressed about how easy was ti o you to find your ancestors. For me has been a titanic struggle. Have you this someone capable contact to wrtite them asking for some advice? thank you a lot for your commnentary,
Regards
Jesse