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While the Catholic Church records in Portugal, the Azores, Madeira and Brazil are excellent, they are frequently difficult to read and interpret. Further confusion for Portuguese researchers is the unique naming traditions in Portuguese-speaking countries, where surnames are seemingly randomly assigned. Ralph Severson will explain these issues and answer questions.

Ralph Severson is a volunteer and past director of the Oakland FamilySearch Center in Oakland, California. He has been researching the records of the Azores for many years and enjoys helping others with their research not just in the Azores but also in other Portuguese-speaking countries.

This program is part of the Genealogy and Family History Symposium 2026, a two-day conference presented by the San Francisco Public Library (SFPL) and the California Genealogical Society (CGS), featuring speakers from SFPL, CGS, the Oakland FamilySearch Center, SFgenealogy and other organizations presenting on a wide range of topics.

See the full two-day schedule.