For Linda
Cavazos. There is a group in
Orange County doing extensive research on the Grajeda/Grageda lines from some of the northern states (I'll look for their card and send you the information). I firmly believe we are all related to the same family;
Alonzo de Graxeda from Spain who arrived to the New World after 1550. His name is found spelled as Graxeda or Graxera. No doubt the predecesor of the names
Grajeda and Grajera. The soft sound of the letter "x" is sometimes found in the spellings of Graseda and Grasera plus other similar in sound. The Grazida, Grasida or now
Gracida originated in
Oaxaca around 1630. Antonio
Alonzo de Graxeda was the oidor de la corte and heard several cases in the
Santa Fe courts in
New Mexico. He and his family settled in the Island of Española. He was the son of Pedro Graxera. The originator of the name was Gotier Gragera a knight from
Segovia. The area where he lived was
Villa de Grajera. The name is derived from "grajear", the sound the local black birds make before roosting for the night. The coat of arms shows the profile of nine black birds in three rows of three birds. On the spelling of old
Spanish documents the letters X,G,J,S,SS,C and Z were used interchangeably. Spelling rules were not formalized until the late 1700's. Best of luck with your research.
