Benveniste

Benveniste, also Benvenist (in Catalonia), Benvenisti, Benvenista, Benvenisto, Ben-Veniste, Beniste (in North Africa) (Spanish bien venida = welcome) is the surname of an old, noble, rich, and scholarly Jewish family of Narbonne, France from the 11th century. The family was present in the 11th to the 15th centuries in Provence, France, Barcelona, Aragon and Castile' Spain. Family members received honorary titles from the authorities and were members of the administration of the kingdom of Aragon and Castile. They were the Baillie ("Bayle") - the Tax Officer and Treasurer, Alfaquim - Senior Advisor to the King and Royal Physician in Barcelona and Aragon in the 12th and 13th centuries. They held the title of "Nasi" (prince in Hebrew), a name given to members of the House of David, in the Jewish communities (mainly Barcelona) and were prominent religious and secular leaders in the 11th to the 14th centuries. In the 14th to the 15th century they held the titles of "De la Cavalleria" - "of the knights" (a name given by the Templers to their treasurers and tax collectors) and Don - a noble person in Aragon and Castile. After the expulsion of the Jews from Spain in 1492 they were dispersed to mainly Portugal, Greece - Salonica and the other parts of the Turkish Empire. In Portugal they were forced to convert to Christianity in 1497 and became one of the rich traders and bankers (the Mendes family) of Europe. Today the name is borne by families in Europe, the Americas and Asia. It was also used as a prænomen.