Page of Cassuto's Genealogies

(made by Bob and Francine Cassuto)

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Désolé pour la page en anglais! La page en français est ici .

If you are interested by "Les Registres matrimoniaux de la Communauté Juive Portugaise de Tunis aux XVIIIème et XIXème siècles" , click here

        Retired from the CNRS as a Director of Research since 1996, I have used part of my time, tracking genealogy sources for my family. Names of my grandparents are : Cassuto, Montefiore, Gabison and Scemama. All of them were born in Tunis. Some of them were Italians, other were French or Tunisians. If the portuguese-livornese origin is clear, I don't know precisely the date of emigration of my family to Tunisia, most probably in the middle of the XVIIIth century. This name is found in Livorno (Leghorn) and other parts of Italy, Holland, Germany, Portugal, Israel, Turkey, Greece and various other countries (USA, North America, South America, South Africa...). Other possible orthographies are Capsuto, Cafsuto, Cassutto, Cassouto, Casoetto, Kassuto. I also discovered a Caçuto in Portugal, hired in 1466 by King Alfonso V to work in Morocco!

        According to Beth Hatefutsoth, The Nahum Goldman Museum of the Jewish Diaspora) (P.O.B. 39359, 61392, Tel Aviv, Israel, letter received on August, the 3d, 1998), the names CASSUTO, CAPSUTO, CAFSUTO (BO75231) are based on GAFSA/GAFSA in Tunisia. The suffice -UT is of Berber origin and the suffix -O was added under Spanish and Italian influence. The family name CASSUTO is documented since the mid-17th century. Distinguished bearers of the Jewish family name CASSUTO include the Italian Historian, Educator and Author, Moshe, David (Umberto) CASSUTO ( 1883-1951).

        It could mean that the Cassuto went from Tunisia to Portugal, Spain  and later on to various countries, after Livorno. Who knows? A confirmation may come from the fact that Cassuto (Cafsuto) having emigrated from Kastoria (Greece) to the USA were previously named Cafssuto. A trace of a Cafsuto can also be found in Italy in 1700.

       Another interpretation can be found in the dictionary recently published  in Brazil "Dicionario sefaradi de sobranomes". The name Cassuto could find its origin in the name "Cabeçudo" meaning big head. This name was localized in Portugal, in Tavira, before 1400.

     

GENEALOGIES :

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