I have also been doing some research on the origins of the Carlos<br>Family. I have found some interesting and surprising things. First of all<br>I too was surprise when I saw the name William Carlos on the Ellis Island <br>Web Page. The surprise was that the place of origin was Ireland. Upon futher<br>investigation of this Web Page I found that all except three of the people or <br>families with the last name Carlos originated not from Spain but from Portugal.<br>The name Carlos is a common Portugese not Spanish surname. I researched the Irish<br>connection on the Portugese Geneological Web Page and found that in the Middle<br>Ages, many Portugese merchants emmigrated to Ireland. This would explain all the<br>Irishmen having Spanish sounding names. My biggest surprise however was discovering<br>that Carlos, along with many other Hispanic names have Jewish origins. The name Carlos<br>is listed among other Sephardic Jewish names. Apparently these early ancestors were <br>expelled from the Iberian Penninsula during the Inquisition. Some of them went to Ireland,<br>and some of them went to the New World. These people converted to Christianity in order<br>to fit in. My family comes from Mexico where there is a colony of Carlos' in the city of<br>Jerez in the State of Zacatecas. That is where my father's family came from. I was born and<br>raised in Los Angeles, CA. I have also found this family name in Brazil and Hawaii where the<br>Portugese also settled. The Sephardic connection come from the book "In Search of Our Fathers"<br>by Rottenburg where the surname Carlos is listed, which is no longer in print.<br>
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george@vcnet.com