Writing

that might possibly allow you to figure out the original spelling.

Otherwise, since you know where the family was originally from, you might be able to contact people there who could possibly help you out.

Weren't the Azores settled mostly by the Portuguese? So the original name would have been Portuguese, which is a clue. And if I'm totally wrong about the main ethnicity of those in the Azores, a little research will find the correct one. Alternatively, if you have a pretty good idea when they came to this country, a lot of ship's records are available on line. Some years ago in the relatively early days of the internet, by husband found the ship's manifest showing my maternal grandfather's arrival in this country. It was quite something to see that.