Is Conda a Jewish Surname?

Question

My ancestry is from Spain (on my mothers side), I'm trying to figure out if it is possible that I'm Jewish being that my ancestors were in spain during part of the Spanish Inquisition. The last name I have is Conda, I'm not in contact with the family members that our still alive and would really like to know where I really come from. Please help if you can, thank you.

Answer 1

This is the nearest, and most probable, spelling of the name that you mention. Shirley T. is quite correct, any name can be a Jewish name, or not.

Conde  

Last name origins & meanings:

Spanish and Portuguese: nickname from the title of rank conde ‘count’, a derivative of Latin comes, comitis ‘companion’.

English: unexplained.

Answer 2

Any name can be Jewish.  A lot of names in the U.S. are seen as Jewish as a large portion of immigrants here with those names were Jewish but back in their home countries they were used by Jews and Christians alike.

Orthodox and Conservative Judaism defines a Jew by the mother not the father.

They state they get the nation from the mother and the tribe from the father.  If they don't have a Jewish father they belong to the tribe of the nearest male relative on the mother's side of the family.  However, if they don't have a Jewish mother, the only way they can be considered Jewish is to convert to Judaism.

Reform Judaism views it differently.