My Roots

This title is solely about my own roots.....

I was born on and island called Hawaii.  We were once a sovereign island that was governed by royalty.  When royalty no longer existed, we became a territory....we were a Territory of Hawaii. 
From a territory, we became the 50th state.
We are a melting pot of different ethnic backgrounds. 
My lineage migrated from Spain, to the Philippines, then to Hawaii. 


The Spanish family name 'De Vera' is classified as being of habitation origin.  Habitation names tell us from whence hailed the progenitor of the family, whether it be a town or village or a place identified by a conspicuous topographical feature.  In this instance, the surname 'De Vera' drives from the Castilian term 'vera', of pre-Roman origin, meaning 'river bank'.  It is therefore possible to imagine the original bearer of the name as someone who resided near the bank of a river.  Alternatively, the surname De Vera is of habitation origin, in this case derived from Vera, the name of several towns located throughout Spain.
One of the earliest references to this name dates back to the thirteenth century, when one Fernando De Vera, a resident of Valencia, took part in the struggle for the recon quest  of that city in 1245.  He was compensated with the feudal domain of Bussol, situated in the province of Alicante, which was awarded to him by King James the first, the Conqueror.  Another member of this family, Luis De Vera, was named Knight of the Kingdom of Valencia by King Charles the second, on November 30th, 1868.  Notable bearers of the name include Pedro De Vera, who conquered the island of Gran Canaria together with his brother Diego in 1483.  The aforementioned individuals traveled to the island with Diego De Herrera and Dona Ines de Peraza.  The chronicler Abreu Galindo states that King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella had been advised of the discord that existed on Gran Canaria between the Spaniards who were the first to arrive.
Therefore, they appointed the aforementioned Pedro De Vera as governor of the island.  The family name De Vera is also found in the Philippines, as shown by a record of the marriage of Pedro De Vera and Maria Roque, which was celebrated in 1852, and the birth of Andres Ungos De Vera, which was documented in Mangaldan, Pangasinan in 1875.


Our Crest emblem:


Blazon of Arms ..........Vair argent and axure
Translation ................ Vair represents Dignity and Nobility
Crest ........................... Three Ostrich Feathers
Origin ......................... Spain