Abulafia (surname)

Abulafia (Arabic: أبو العافية‎‎ Abū l-ʿāfiya, Abou l-Afiyya or Abu l-Afia; Hebrew: אבולעפיה‎‎ Abulafia) is a Sephardi Jewish surname whose etymological origin is in the Arabic language. The family name, like many other Arabic-origin Sephardic Jewish surnames, originated in Spain (Sefarad) among Spanish Jews (Sephardim) at a time during Spain's Islamic history, when it was ruled as Al-Andalus by Arabic-speaking Moors.

To this day, the romanized version of the surname is most commonly Abulafia. Other variations also exist, mostly in English transliterations, including Aboulafia, Abolafia, Abouelafia, Aboulafiya, Abulafiya, Aboulafiyya, etc.

Etymologically, the surname is composed of the Arabic words:

Together they form Abou l-Afiyya or Abu l-Afia, rendered in Medieval Spanish as a single word, Abulafia, meaning "Father [of] the Health/Wellbeing" or "Owner [of] the Power".[1]

Moorish rule in the Iberian peninsula (Spain and Portugal), lasting some 800 years, is regarded as a tolerant period in its acceptance and co-existence between Christians, Muslims and Jews. The Jews of Spain were proficient in Spanish, Arabic and Hebrew. Thus, it was commonplace among Spanish Jews to use the Arabic language for secular names (including surnames) for use outside of the synagogue.

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