The Cordeiros descended from Manuel Gonçalves Cordeiro, as we know them today, are an intermingling of different races - European, Indian, Malay, Chinese ... In effect, this is no different from the ancestry of the Portuguese people. Back at the time our Azorean Portuguese ancestors set sail for Asia, the portuguese people were already mixed as a direct result of the intermingling of races and cultures on the Iberian Peninsula (Portugal, Spain) throughout the ages with Iberians, Celts in the north, Phonecians, Carthaginians, Greeks, Visigoths/Suevians (Germanic tribes), Romans, Jews, Moors and other Africans.

In terms of appearance and physical stature, the Portuguese today have Mediterranean, dark features. In the northern part of Portugal where the Celtic/Germanic presence was the strongest, it is not uncommon to see tall, blond and blue- or green-eyed Portuguese. Most of the Cordeiros today have lost their Mediterranean features due to inter-racial marriages. However, if you visit Portugal today, you will see some similarity between the Portuguese and old photos of your grandparents.

Praça da Figuera, Lisbon, Portugal

Just like our forefathers, today's Cordeiro is for the most part devoutly Roman Catholic, family-oriented, mild-mannered and friendly. People often comment that the Portuguese are always welcoming, ready and willing to help others. So are we!

In terms of family size, as with most families in developed countries of the late 20th and 21st centuries, the number of offspring in Cordeiro families tends to be small with between 1-4 children. However, it was not so long ago that as with many Catholic families, the Cordeiros had large families. Some men had re-married up to 3 times as a result of becoming a widower and fathered children into their 70s. It was not unusual for families to have more than 10 children. With each child in turn bearing just as many children, the Cordeiros in Asia have produced many descendants.