Surname Souza - Meaning and Origin
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Taking a DNA test through iGENEA opened up a door to my past, uncovering hidden familial connections and painting a vivid picture of my family history associated with the surname Souza. The thrilling journey offered unexpected insights and a much deeper appreciation for my heritage.
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read moreSouza: What does the surname Souza mean?
Souza is a Portuguese surname that is most commonly found in Portugal, Brazil, and among Portuguese diaspora in countries such as India, Sri Lanka, and the United States. The name derives from the Portuguese word "sousa," which refers to the 'rockrose' (Cistus ladanifer), a type of plant that produces a resin used in the production of perfumes. However, it mainly originated from the Sousa Valley region in Northern Portugal. Like many Portuguese surnames, it also commonly appears in the forms de Sousa or de Souza and can be an indicator of nobility. Additionally, it is occasionally anglicized as D'Souza. The surname might also refer to a toponymic origin—identifying individuals from a geographical location, Sousa in this case.
Order DNA origin analysisSouza: Where does the name Souza come from?
The last name Souza is most commonly seen among Portuguese and Brazilian populations, due to its origin as a patronymic surname derived from the Portuguese “Soeiro”, referring to a person who owns or cultivates a piece of land. As Portuguese colonies thrive around the world, the surname Souza appears around the globe, especially in Portuguese-speaking countries like Angola, Mozambique, Macau, and Portugal, as well as Portuguese-influenced cities such as Goa, India and San Francisco, USA.
Souza can also be seen among populations in the Americas, chiefly in Hispanic countries, such as Colombia, Ecuador, Cuba and the Dominican Republic. As a result of European colonialism and immigration in the 15th and 16th centuries, evidence of the last name also exists in Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and Mexico.
Moreover, the presence of Portuguese immigrants in South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe, resulted in a wide spread of the last name Souza throughout Southern African countries. Lastly, Souza can be seen as far as East Timor, India, Sri Lanka, and even in Australia where Portuguese and Brazilian immigrants have settled.
In conclusion, the lastname Souza is most commonly observed in Portuguese-speaking countries, as well as Portuguese colonies and Hispanic countries, and can be seen spreading throughout parts of Africa, Asia, America, and Australia.
Variations of the surname Souza
The surname Souza is a Portuguese and Spanish surname that is most likely derived from the Latin word “suse” which means “from the willow tree”. Variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin for the Souza family include Sousa, Soza, Soares, de Soosa, de Souza, Sousas, Sousam, Soansa, Soaes, Sosa, Sosas, Souso, Soause, Sowse, and Sowza.
Souza was one of the earliest surnames to arise in Portugal and Spain and is believed to have been in existence since the mid to late thirteenth century. It is typical of Portuguese and Spanish surnames in that it is derived from a location, a personal characteristic, a trade, or a physical feature of the region. In this case, it was derived from the presence of willow trees in the areas where the Souza family lived.
The Portuguese and Spanish surnames of Souza and Sousa were brought to the Caribbean islands of the East Indies and Brazil during the Colonial period by Portuguese explorers and colonists who made the journey across the ocean. As a result, the surname Souza spread to and was adopted by families in countries such as Venezuela, Mexico, Peru, Paraguay, Chile, Argentina, Colombia, Panama, Ecuador, Costa Rica, and the Dominican Republic.
The spellings of the surname can also be adjusted to indicate a given name, a geographic origin, or other specific characteristics. For example, in Brazil, where the prevalence of the surname is highest, the surnames Souza and Sousa are often combined with another name to indicate a specific family’s origin within the Souza family tree, such as de Souza and Soares de Sousa.
Famous people with the name Souza
- Fabio de Melo Souza: Brazilian actor and singer
- Diego Souza: Brazilian footballer
- Mauricio Souza: Brazilian football manager
- Magno Alves Souza: Brazilian former football player
- Jade Barbosa Souza: Brazilian artistic gymnast
- Adoniran Souza Barbosa: Brazilian musician and composer
- Diego Albano Souza: Brazilian former footballer
- Anderson Souza Mendoca: Brazilian footballer
- Carol Souza: Brazilian model and TV celebrity
- Walmir Souza Cruz: Brazilian philosopher and former president of the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro
- Paulo André de Souza: Brazilian former footballer
- Zezé Souza: Brazilian former footballer
- Mariana Dias Souza: Brazilian tennis player
- Rafaela Souza: Brazilian kitesurfer and windsurfer
- Simon Kjaer Souza: Danish footballer
- Luiz Henrique Souza: Brazilian professional Go player
- Cristiano Souza: Brazilian judoka
- Fabiano Francisco Souza: Brazilian middle distance runner
- Marcell Souza: Brazilian footballer
- Francisco Souza-Neto: Brazilian-born American engineer and professor