Who are Sephardim?
Sepharad is the Hebrew term for the Iberian Peninsula and literally means "Spain." Originally, only Jews from this area were referred to as Sephardim. However, due to similarities between the Sephardic Nusach and Nusach Edot HaMizrach of Jews from Africa and Asia, almost all Jews that are of non-Ashkenazi origin are deemed as Sephardic in the broadest sense of the word. Although I would love to go into specifics of each custom, for the moment, this site will discuss Sephardim using the broad definition unless otherwise stated.
Famous Sephardim
Rabbi Moshe Ben Maimon, Maimonides, RAMBAM, Author of Mishneh Torah
Rabbi Isaac ben Jacob Alfasi ha-Cohen, RIF, Author of Sefer Ha-halachot
Rabbi Asher ben Yechiel (Ashkenazi by birth), ROSH,
Rabbi Jacob ben Asher, Author of Tur
Rabbi Yosef Karo, Author of the Shulchan Aruch
Rabbi Moshe De Leon, Composer/Redactor of the Zohar
Rabbi Ben-Zion Meir Hai Uziel, Former Chief Sephardic Rabbi
Rabbi Mordechai Tzemach Eliyahu, Former Chief Sephardic Rabbi
Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, Former Chief Sephardic Rabbi
Hacham Yosef Chaim, Author of Ben Ish Chai
Benjamin Nathan Cardozo, Former US Supreme Court Justice
Haym Solomon, Prime Financier of the Continental Army during American Revolution
Judah Benjamin, Attorney General, Secretary of War, and Secretary of State for Confederacy
Judah Touro, American Businessman
Rabbi Isaac ben Jacob Alfasi ha-Cohen, RIF, Author of Sefer Ha-halachot
Rabbi Asher ben Yechiel (Ashkenazi by birth), ROSH,
Rabbi Jacob ben Asher, Author of Tur
Rabbi Yosef Karo, Author of the Shulchan Aruch
Rabbi Moshe De Leon, Composer/Redactor of the Zohar
Rabbi Ben-Zion Meir Hai Uziel, Former Chief Sephardic Rabbi
Rabbi Mordechai Tzemach Eliyahu, Former Chief Sephardic Rabbi
Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, Former Chief Sephardic Rabbi
Hacham Yosef Chaim, Author of Ben Ish Chai
Benjamin Nathan Cardozo, Former US Supreme Court Justice
Haym Solomon, Prime Financier of the Continental Army during American Revolution
Judah Benjamin, Attorney General, Secretary of War, and Secretary of State for Confederacy
Judah Touro, American Businessman