Peretz Surname – Eligibility for a Portuguese Passport
The surname Peretz is one of the more common Jewish family names. Before the establishment of the State of Israel, the name was common among the Jews of the Maghreb countries in North Africa, through Syria and even Poland. Over time, the name acquired Hebrew and local influences from the countries where it passed. This article is intended to explain the origin of the name and its development.
Our immigration law firm in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem assists in the process of issuing a Portuguese passport to Israelis with a Spanish / Portuguese connection. If your surname is Peretz, you are almost certainly entitled to a Portuguese passport.
The Origin of the Surname Peretz
The surname Peretz is an ancient Spanish name, dating back to the 14th century. Many famous Spanish personalities were called by this name over the years, including Isabella I of Castile and Aragon, who was behind the mass expulsion of Jews that took place in 1492.
As part of the integration of Spanish Jews into the aristocratic Spanish culture of the Middle Ages, they decided to adopt family names with a local origin, in order to create a cultural-economic affinity with the population in which they lived.
Perez is the origin of the well-known name Peretz, and is most common in Spain and Latin American countries. In other words, the name originally did not have Jewish-Hebrew meaning but, in the days after the expulsion from Spain, it is strongly associated with Jewish communities. This has happened with other names, as well, such as Suarez (also written as Soares, or Suares), which also gained a Hebrew meaning over the years and became Zuaretz (also written as Zu-Aretz, Zu-Arets, or Zoaretz).
After the expulsion from Spain, the name could be found especially among North African countries, where most of the Jews who were expelled from Spain settled, such as Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya. However, the name can also be found in other countries where the expelled Jews arrived, such as Syria, Iraq, and even Poland.
The name Peretz is the fourth most common surname in Israel, with almost 30,000 families having it. There are another 1,500 families around the world with this name, especially in the US, Canada, and France.
Different Spellings of the Name:
Peretz, Perez, Perec, Peres.
More Articles on Jewish Surnames of Spanish Descent:
- Spanish origin of the name Lahiani
- Clear Spanish origin of the surname Moyal
- The surname Horowitz and its Spanish origin
- Origin of the surname Maman
- Spanish roots among Moroccan Jewry
Contact Us
Our immigration firm specializes in emigration to Portugal and in obtaining a Portuguese passport for descendants of Jews who were expelled from Spain. If you, too, have a close or distant connection to the surname Peretz, there is a good chance that you, too, are eligible. It is advisable to contact the firm to find out how to proceed.
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