Start your family tree now Is your surname Diniz?
There are already 152 users and 2,910 genealogy profiles with the Diniz surname on Geni. Explore Diniz genealogy and family history in the World's Largest Family Tree.

Diniz Genealogy and Diniz Family History Information

‹ Back to Surnames Index

Create your Family Tree.
Discover your Family History.

  • Build your family tree online
  • Share photos and videos
  • Smart Matching™ technology
  • Free!
view all

Profiles

  • Álvaro Samuel Diniz (1565 - 1650)
    Merchant, importer of sugar, salt.. from Portugal. Exporter of grain from Danzig to Lisbon. Minter of coins (his mark in is the coins) and founder of the "Portuguese" Jewish community. He lived in Port...
  • Samuel Moises Castiel (c.1532 - d.)
    Shmuel (a/k/a Samuel Moises Castiel of Cochin who was originally living in Cairo when hired by Afonso – a distant cousin through the Paloma Don Fadrique liaison) Samuel had a brother named Isaac Pinto ...
  • Ana Manuel (deceased)
    Ana Manuel ==Nascida - Freguesia de Cedros Pais: António Manuel +1662 e Luzia ManuelCasada (20 MAI 1629), Igreja Paroquial de Santa Barbara, com João Diniz
  • Angela Diniz, Pantera de Minas (1944 - 1976)
    Ângela Maria Fernandes Diniz (Curvelo ou Belo Horizonte,[nota 1] 10 de novembro de 1944 — Armação dos Búzios, 30 de dezembro de 1976) foi uma socialite brasileira assassinada em uma casa na Praia dos O...
  • Cristovão Diniz (deceased)
    Maria José P. Ferro Tavares, que no artigo Os Cristãos Novos e o Povoamento do Brasil. (In: Discursos. Estudos em Memória do Prof. Doutor Luís Sá. Dezembro, 2000. p. 18), afirma:Por detrás da presença ...

About the Diniz surname

origem portuguesa dinis, a exemplo o rei D. Dinis e espanhola diniz.

"genealogistas afirmam que os Diniz são uma família muito antiga e nobre, pertencente à ilustre família dos Yahya, de origens Sarracenas-Judaicas remotas, que passou a residir, em primeiro lugar, em Portugal, no lugar de nome Diniz, Dinis ou Deniz. Um dos membros proeminentes da família mudou-se para a Polônia no século XVI junto com seus familiares, quando foram convidados por Jan Zamyski (também conhecido como Ioannes de Zamość, 1542 – 1605), um líder e magnata importante na confederação Polonesa-Lituana, para dar uma significativa contribuição para a criação de um rede comercial judaica local. O sobrenome original “Yahya”, de fato, pelo propósito claro de aparecer menos estrangeiro, foi modificado, inicialmente, em “de Niyes”, até aquele Diniz, do qual estamos lidando. A família Diniz, de fato, descende diretamente daquele Iacobo ben Gedaliah Dionis ibn Yahaya, nascido em Fatih, Istambul, Turquia, 1540 e falecido em Tessalônica, Grécia em 1595; foi pai de Aloandro Iacobo Diniz (ibn Yahya), que, de Slonim, o lugar onde ele nasceu em 1585 foi para Portugal."

"Antichissima ed assai nobile famiglia, facente capo all'illustre casato degli Yahya, di remote origini saracene, passato a risiedere, primieramente, in Portogallo, detta Diniz, Dinis o Denis, giunta in Polonia nel XVI secolo, ovvero quando i suoi membri vennero ivi invitati, da Jan Zamoyski (noto anche come Jan Zamojski e Ioannes de Zamość; 1542 - 1605), importante szlachcic e magnate nella Confederazione Polacco-Lituana, a dare un significativo contributo alla creazione di una rete commerciale ebraica locale. L'originale cognome "Yahya", infatti, nel nord e nell'est europa, al chiaro fine di apparire meno forestiero, venne modificato, inizialmente, in "de Niyes", sino ad arrivare a quel "Diniz", di cui stiam trattando. La famiglia Diniz, infatti, discende direttamente da quel Iacobo ben Gedaliah Dionis ibn Yahya (Fatih, Istanbul, Turchia, 1540 - Tessalonica, Macedonia, Grecia, 1595), che fu padre di Aloandro Iacobo Diniz (ibn Yahya), il quale, da Slonim, luogo ove nacque nel 1585."

NEWSLETTER OF THE WORLDWIDE CONGREGATION CHARLAPNAHYA Tevet 5765; December 2004 ON ALVARO DIONIS (DINIZ, DINIS, DINITZ) 1 Alvaro Dionis, a leader of the Jewish community in 17th century northern Germany, is discussed in The Book of Destiny: Toledot Charlap (p.410). His original name was Shmuel Ibn Yahya and another alias was Alberto de Nyes (de Nis).He.is well documented in Jewish historical literature. All of these sources agree that he was not only a communal and religious leader, but a major political and economic force in Hamburg, Glueckstadt, Schleswig-Holstein, Lubeck, and Danzig. His influence extended to the Danish crown and through much of Poland. He dominated the salt trade and was Mint Master of several locations including Altona and Glueckstadt With all of this, he was a dedicated Jew, even maintaining a communal synagogue in his house. Continuing research has led to further conclusions about Alvaro Dionis. Yoseflbn Y ahya the Martyr (86D, Ancilla To Toledot Charlap, p.13) escaped from inquisitorial Portugal to Italy. His three sons took divergent paths. Meir stayed in Italy, settling in Oulina where he lived an intellectual life as a poet. Shlomo left for the island of Rhodes which had a large number of Jewish refugees who had been welcomed by the Ottoman rulers. David ben Yosef, became Chief Rabbi ofNaples and was an ardent fighter for Jewish rights throughout the Mediterranean world. He married a heroic woman named Dinah. Their story, as well as Y osef s, is told in detail in The Book of Destiny and will not be repeated here. What is important for this discussion is the connection to Alvaro Dionis. Susan C. Sherman (Avotaynu, Summer 1990, p.17) opined, "As Dinitz' Jewish name was Samuel Tun Jachia [sic] and succeeding generations of his family gave the name Dina to girls, it is possible that he was a descendant of Dina Ibn Jachia, wife of David, son of Joseph, who fled Spain to Italy." A more complex analysis is offered by Joseph Ben Brith (Alvaro Dinis, His Wife Beatriz Henriques and Her Son Ruben Henriques, www.heymannfamily.com). "It is fair to assume that his [Shmuel Tun Y ahya alias Alvaro] grandfather David Marco, alias Tome de Nis, a Marrano in Portugal, was the son of one of the brothers David or Selomo [Shlomo], who saved their lives at the end of 1493 after a difficult escape of four months to Pisa, together with their aged father Joseph [Yosef] Tun David Jachia, a brother himself of the next to last Chief Rabbi of Lisbon named Selomo Tun David-Ende [86C,Ancilla To Toledot Char lap, p. 12] who had died in 1490." Ben Brith continues by stating that one possibility of Alvaro's ancestry is that mentioned by Sherman. He then comes to a conclusion which is not clearly analyzed, "If Sherman is correct, then Dina had to abandon her kidnaped little son in Portugal, a fate that, alas, befell thousands of children beginning in 1493 ... This hypothesis of the abandoned son is possible if the son was born in Lisbon before about 1490, but there is no record anywhere of his birth. This should not be unusual because both the Jewish and the official Portuguese sources remained silent on the forcible abduction of children from their parents ... Judging from chronological considerations he cannot have been born later than 1490 and not in Italy.

ALVARO DIONIS (cont.) either." Ben Brith explains that Alvaro's father was known as Felipe de Nis, alias Salomon Marco. Felipe was born in Porto, Portugal and later lived on the Isle of Sao Tome, where many thousands of forcibly baptized children were sent to remove them from the influence of their Jewish parents. About 1570, Felipe de Nis appeared in Antwerp where he practiced Judaism in secret. Yet, he made no efforts to disguise his work for the Marrano community. His children Alvaro and Ana were born in Antwerp and in 1578 he moved to Cologne. Five years later he settled in Venice and openly proclaimed his Judaism. Brought before the Inquisition, he and his wife Abigail agreed to practice Christianity, but it is apparent that they remained inward Jews. Ben Brith offers the possibility that when Shlomo ben Yosef Ibn Y ahya :fled to Rhodes, he did so without his wife and son. To survive in Italy, the wife converted and her son · David Marco, alias Tome de Nis was raised as a Christian. But then Ben Brith offers still another possibility; Tome de Nis, or David Marco, was the son of another Shlomo Ibn Y ahya, Shlomo ben David, that David being the last Chief Rabbi of Lisbon. He goes on to say that Shlomo is most likely the Shlomo Ibn Y ahya who after 1540 settled in the more tolerant town of Ancona, Italy. However, my research shows a greater probability that Shlomo of Ancona was the son of Gedaliah Ibn Y ahya. Ben Brith concludes with,"What is obvious is the relationship of Samuel Jachia alias Alvaro de Nis with the clan of J achia. Until now it is vague who the parents were who handed their little son to the church during the years of forced conversions of all Portuguese Jews and why their son was subsequently named David Jachia then David Marco." He then proceeds to give a genealogy of Alvaro going back to ca llOO. We have correlated this list with our own genealogy and present herewith what we consider an accurate history. Chiya (Hiyya) al-Daudi; b. Ca 1080-1090; d. l154; advisor to King of Portugal, military leader, scholar; first in . family to be known as Charlap. Yaish Ibn Yahya; b. Ca 1 l10-l120; scholar, politician, military leader; secret military leader of Moslems before serving King of Portugal as a Jew.

  • ************************************************ B'RAYSHIT: THE NEWSLETTER OF CONGREGATION CHARLAP/YAHYA is published 3 to 4 times per year. We encourage submittal of news items, essays, poems, and historical articles. Correspondence should be directed to: Arthur F. Menton, Editor P.O. Box 108 Cold Spring Harbor, N. Y. 11724 Tel. and Fax: (631)754-1742 e-mail: kdpmai@yahoo.com Copyright© 2004 Yahya Ibn Yaish (Yahya el Negro); b. ca 1150; d. 1222; scholar, politician, advisor to King of Portugal; vast land holdings. Yehuda Ibn Yahya; title of Sar (prince); fl. late 12th cent.; d. ca 1229; Chief Rabbi of Portugal; royal treasurer. Yoseflbn Yahya ha-Zaken; b. 1210; d. ca 1270; resident of Lisbon; attained great wealth, built magnificent Lisbon synagogue. Shlomo Tun Yahya ha-Zaken; b. ca 1250; d. ca 1300; philosopher, religious scholar, royal military advisor. Gedaliah Ibn Yahya; b. ca 1295; d. ca 1385; physician; royal advisor; left Lisbon for Castile, administered Jewish communities; final residence Toledo. David Ibn Yahya Negro; b. ca 1330; d. Oct. 1385, Toledo, Spain; lost most of Portuguese estates after leaving Lisbon; appointed Almoxarife and Chief Rabbi of Castile; known as Rav shel Sepharad. Shlomo Ibn Yahya; b. ca 1360, Toledo; d. 1430; resident of Toledo and Portugal; royal agent. David Ibn Yahya; b. ca 1400, Lisbon; d. ca 1460; scholar, royal agent. Here we depart from Ben Brith' s tree. We have documented in the two books on the history of the family (see p.10) that this David had four sons, Y ehuda, Gedaliah, Shlomo, and Y osef. It is Y osef who continues this line. Yosefibn Yahya the Martyr; b. 1425, Portugal; d. 1498, Ferrara, Italy; confidant of Don Isaac Abravanel and advisor to King Alfonso V, fled to Italy when King Joao imposed forced conversion; scholar, teacher, communal leader. Davidlbn Yahya; b. 1465, Lisbon; d. 1542, Imola, Italy (cem. Safed, Israel); m. Dinah_; fled to Italy; rabbi, scholar, writer, communal leader. Note that David had two brothers, Meir and Shlomo. Either David or Shlomo could have been the father of: David Ibn Yahya (alias David Marco, Tome de Nis); b. ca 1498, Porto/Nisa, Pornigal; d. ca 1570; royal physician . Salomon Marco (alias Felipe de Nis); b. ca 1530, Porto, Portugal; d. ca 1599; m. Abigail de Palacios, 2nd m. Beatriz de Solis; fled Portugal and lived in Antwerp, Cologne, Venice, and Hamburg; businessman, merchant, communal leader, secret Jew. Shmuel Ibn Y ahya (alias Alvaro Dionis, Alvaro de Nis); b. ca 1565, Antwerp; d. ca 1650, Amsterdam; m. Beatriz- Abigail Henriques de Milao; openly Jewish communal and religious leader, wealthy businessman, Mint Master; lived in Antwerp, Cologne, Venice, Salonika, Hamburg, Glueckstadt, Amsterdam. Some say that descendants of Alvaro lived in Suwalk Gubemiya in the 18th century. We will continue to investigate that claim. We, of course, know that Suwalk was a center of our line of Charlaps that descends from the Ibn Y ahyas.