Sousa (surname)
Sousa (/ˈsuːzə/, Portuguese: [ˈsouzɐ]), Souza, de Sousa (literally, from Sousa), de Souza or D'Souza is a common Portuguese-language surname, especially in Portugal, Brazil, East Timor, India (among Catholics in Goa, Bombay, and Mangalore), and Galicia.[1] In Africa, the name is common among people with Portuguese and Brazilian roots in Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Angola, São Tomé and Príncipe, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, and Mozambique.
 Coat of arms of Cardinal Luís de Sousa | |
| Origin | |
|---|---|
| Meaning | toponymic (from the Sousa River) |
| Region of origin | Portugal |
| Other names | |
| Variant form(s) | de Sousa, Souza, de Souza, D'Souza |
Etymology and history
The name comes from the Sousa River in northern Portugal. Sometimes the spelling is in the archaic form Souza or de Souza, which has occasionally been changed to D'Souza. The Spanish equivalent of this surname is Sosa.
During the colonial era, the Portuguese built forts along Brazilian and West African coastal areas for trade, many of which were later used for the slave trade. They also had children with local women, and the children were given their fathers' last names.
Some Afro-Brazilians who returned to Africa also carry this last name. Among those are the Tabom people, descendants of Francisco Félix de Sousa, a white Portuguese-Brazilian man from Salvador, Bahia, in Brazil, once the richest man in West Africa due to his involvement in its slave trade.
Notable people sharing a variation of the surname Sousa
Scientists, academics and technologists
- Marcelo Damy de Souza Santos (1914–2009), Brazilian physicist
- Teotonio R. de Souza (1947–2019), Indian historian
- Raissa D'Souza (1969–), Theoretical physicist and computer scientist
- Francisco D'Souza (1968-), an Indian American entrepreneur and businessman
- Almir Rogerio Evangelista de Souza (1983-), Brazilian Scientist, Engineer and Professor.
Visual artists
- Amadeo de Souza Cardoso (1887–1918), Portuguese painter
- Aurélia de Souza (1867–1922), Portuguese painter
- Francis Newton Souza (1924–2002), Indian painter from Goa
- Mauricio de Sousa (born 1935), Brazilian comic book artist
- Remo D'Souza (born 1974), Indian dancer, choreographer, actor and film director
- Solomon Souza (born 1993), Israeli artist, grandson of Francis Newton Souza
- Teresa Nunes Alves de Sousa (born 1979), Portuguese artist
Actors and filmmakers
- Andria D'Souza (1986-), Indian television actress
- Edward de Souza (1932–), British actor
- Genelia D'Souza (1987–), Indian actress
- Karla Souza (1985–), Mexican actress
- Krystal D'Souza (1990–), Indian television actress
- Marjorie de Sousa (1980–), Venezuelan actress and model
- Waluscha de Sousa (1979–), Indian actress and model
- Steven E. de Souza (1947–), American producer, director and screenwriter
- Sebastian de Souza (1993–), British actor
Entrepreneurs
- Francisco Félix de Sousa (1754–1849), Portuguese-Brazilian slave trader
- Osmel Sousa (1946–), Cuban-Venezuelan beauty pageant entrepreneur
Musicians, singers and composers
- Carmen Souza (1981–), Portuguese-born singer and songwriter of Cape Verde
- Chris de Souza (1943–), British classical music composer
- Conrad Susa (1935–2013), American stage composer
- João de Sousa Carvalho (1745–1798), Portuguese composer of Baroque operas
- John Philip Sousa (1854–1932), American composer of marches
- Luciana Souza (1966–), Brazilian singer
- Raul de Souza (1934–), Brazilian trombonist
- Steve "Zetro" Souza (1964–), American thrash metal singer
- Gena De sousa (1997-),Thai of Portuguese descent singer and actress
Writers and journalists
- Adelaide Filleul, Marquise de Souza-Botelho (1761–1836), French novelist
- Amílcar de Sousa (1876–1940), Portuguese doctor and author of health books
- Christovão Falcão (1512? – 1557), a.k.a. Christovão de Sousa Falcão, Portuguese poet
- Dinesh D'Souza (1961–), Indian American political commentator and conspiracy theorist
- Henrique "Henfil" de Souza Filho (1944–1988), Brazilian cartoonist, caricaturist, journalist and writer
- José de Sousa Saramago (1922–2010), Portuguese novelist, Prémio Camões and Noble Prize in Literature
- Júlio César de Mello e Souza (1895–1974), Brazilian writer and mathematics professor; used the pen name Malba Tahan
- Luís de Sousa (1555–1632), Portuguese monk and writer
- Manuel de Faria e Sousa (1590–1649), Portuguese historian and poet
- Márcio Souza (1946–), Brazilian novelist, essayist and playwright
- Na D'Souza (1937–), Indian novelist and Kannada language writer
- Noémia de Sousa (1926–2003), Mozambican journalist and poet
- Ovídio de Sousa Martins (1928–1999), Cape Verdean poet
- Pete Souza (1954–), American photojournalist, Chief Official White House photographer
- Tony D'Souza, American novelist, journalist and essayist
Political figures
- Aristides de Sousa Mendes (1885–1954), Portuguese diplomat
- Charles Sousa (1958–), Canadian politician, Minister of Finance for Ontario from 2007
- Christopher de Souza (1976–), Singaporean Member of Parliament
- Dona Ana de Sousa, a.k.a. Ngola Ann Nzinga Mbande (c. 1583–1663), Angolan queen
- Fitz Remedios Santana de Souza (1929–), Kenyan lawyer and politician
- Frances D'Souza, Baroness D'Souza (1944–), British scientist and former Lord Speaker of the House of Lords
- Herbert de Souza (1935–1997), Brazilian sociologist, politician and activist
- Jerónimo de Sousa (1947–), Portuguese politician, General Secretary of the Communist Party
- Jose Philip D'Souza, Indian politician
- José Sócrates Carvalho Pinto de Sousa (1957–), Portuguese politician and former Prime Minister of Portugal
- Luiz Martins de Souza Dantas (1876–1954), Brazilian diplomat
- Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa (1948–), Portuguese politician, currently President of Portugal
- Márcio de Souza e Mello (1906–1991), Brazilian former air force general and member of ruling junta
- Martim Afonso de Sousa (c. 1500–1571), Portuguese explorer and first Royal Governor of Brazil
- Paulo Renato Souza (1945–2011), Brazilian economist and politician
- Sabrina De Sousa (c. 1956–), former American diplomat and alleged CIA field officer
- Sérgio Sousa Pinto (1972–), Portuguese politician, Member of the European Parliament
- Tomé de Sousa (1503–1579), Portuguese nobleman and first governor-general of Brazil
- Washington Luís Pereira de Sousa (1869–1957), last president of the First Brazilian Republic
- Boaventura de Sousa Santos (1940–), economist and university teacher known for his work on the World Social Forum and on Marxism
Athletes
- Abigail Conceição de Souza (1921–2007), Brazilian footballer
- Adrian D'Souza (1984–), Indian field hockey player
- Adriano de Souza (1977–), Brazilian footballer
- Alan Goncalves Sousa (born 1997), Brazilian footballer
- Alexsandro de Souza (1977–), Brazilian footballer
- Antao D'Souza (1939–), Pakistani cricketer
- Artur de Sousa Pinga (1909–1963), Portuguese footballer and coach
- Cássio Alessandro de Souza (1986–), Brazilian footballer
- Claudemir de Souza (1988–), Brazilian footballer
- Cristiano Pereira de Souza (1977–), Brazilian footballer
- Darius D'Souza (1989–), Canadian cricketer
- Deivid de Souza (1979–), Brazilian footballer
- Douglas Costa de Souza (1990–), better known as Douglas Costa, Brazilian footballer
- Edson Edmar Dias de Souza, a.k.a. Mateus Paraná (1987–), Brazilian footballer
- Erika de Souza (1982), Brazilian basketball player
- Fábio de Souza a.k.a. Fabinho (1975–), Brazilian footballer
- Frederico Sousa (1978–), Portuguese rugby player
- Gesias Calvancante Souza a.k.a. JZ Calvan (1983–), Brazilian MMA fighter
- Givanildo Vieira de Souza a.k.a. Hulk (1986–), Brazilian footballer
- Hélia Souza (1970–), Brazilian volleyball player
- Hudson de Souza (1977–), Brazilian middle distance runner
- Jenílson Ângelo de Souza a.k.a. Júnior (1973), Brazilian footballer
- João de Sousa (1924–2014), Portuguese rower
- João Sousa (1989–), Portuguese tennis player
- Jorge Luiz Sousa a.k.a. Jorginho (1977–), Brazilian footballer
- José Carlos Leite de Sousa a.k.a. Sousa (1977–), Portuguese footballer
- José Cristiano de Souza Júnior (1977–), Brazilian footballer
- José Ivanaldo de Souza (1975–), Brazilian footballer
- Marcelo de Souza (1975–), Uruguayan footballer
- Marcelo de Souza Ramos (1978–), Brazilian footballer
- Márcio Rafael Ferreira de Souza, a.k.a. Rafinha (1985–), Brazilian footballer
- Marcus Vinicius de Souza, a.k.a. Marcus Vinicius (1984–), Brazilian basketball player
- Marshall D'Souza (1941–2013), Pakistani-Canadian cricketer
- Nadson Rodrigues de Souza (1982–), Brazilian footballer
- Paulo Manuel Carvalho de Sousa (1970–), Portuguese former footballer
- Robert de Pinho de Souza a.k.a. Robert (1981–), Brazilian footballer
- Robson de Souza a.k.a. Robinho (1984–), Brazilian footballer
- Rodrigo de Souza Cardoso (1982–), Brazilian footballer
- Romário de Souza Faria a.k.a. Romário (1966–), Brazilian former footballer
- Ronaldo Souza dos Santos a.k.a. Jacaré (1979–), Brazilian MMA fighter
- Silvestre de Sousa (1980–), Brazilian jockey
- Stephie D'Souza (1936–1998), Indian track-and-field athlete and hockey player
- Steven Jeffrey Souza, Jr. (1989–), American baseball player
- Tony de Souza (1974–), Peruvian wrestler
- Uênia Fernandes de Souza (1984–), Brazilian racing cyclist
- Vágner Silva de Souza a.k.a. Vágner Love (1984–), Brazilian footballer
Religious figures
- Albert D'Souza (1945–), Indian Roman Catholic Bishop
- Aloysius Paul D'Souza (1941–), Bishop of the Mangalore Diocese, India
- Basil Salvadore D'Souza (1926–1996), Bishop of the Mangalore Diocese, India
- Felipa de Souza (1556–1600), Portuguese-Brazilian lesbian convicted and tortured by the Inquisition
- Humberto Sousa Medeiros (1915–1983), Catholic Cardinal and Archbishop of Boston, Massachusetts
- James deSouza (1925–), Pakistani Roman Catholic priest
- João de Sousa (1647–1710), Archbishop of Lisbon, Portugal
- Norbert D'Souza, president of the All India Catholic Union during 1996–2000
Fictional characters
- Anna De Souza, in Emmerdale TV series
- Bianca DeSousa, in Degrassi: The Next Generation TV series
- Lady Christina de Souza, in an episode of the British TV series Doctor Who
- Daniel Sousa, in the Agent Carter TV series and the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. TV Series.
- Donald De Souza, in Emmerdale TV series
- Etienne de Sousa, in Dead Man's Folly, a novel by Agatha Christie
- Madame Souza, in The Triplets of Belleville animated film
- Miles De Souza, in Emmerdale TV series
- Rodrigo De Souza, in Mozart in the Jungle TV series by Amazon
See also
- Sosa (surname), the Spanish equivalent
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