Pimentel is a Portuguese and Spanish surname, held in part by members of the House of Pimentel, a Spanish noble family of Portuguese origin and established in the Kingdom of Castile. Pimentel denotes pepper plants and spices, suggesting an occupation (pepper farmer) or a location (where pepper grows) as the origin of the name.

Individuals with this surname edit

History edit

Ancestry of the surname has been linked to Petrus Martini Pimentel (b. 1252) and João Afonso Pimentel, a Portuguese knight.[1] The name spread throughout the Portuguese Empire and the subsequent Portuguese diaspora.

The name is associated with the history of the Jews in Portugal, specifically the conversos to Catholicism during the Portuguese Inquisition. Tribunal records now maintained in the Torre do Tombo National Archive contain hundreds of examples of New Christian Pimentels accused of heresy and relapsing into Judaism.[citation needed] Pimentels of Sephardic origin have been traced to Spain, Portugal, Amsterdam, Sardinia (Italy), Brazil, and Latin America.[citation needed]

References edit

  1. ^ "Família Pimentel". Origem do Sobrenome. Archived from the original on 7 May 2021.