Sousa ([ˈso(w)zɐ]), Souza, de Sousa (literally, from Sousa), or de Souza is a common Portuguese-language surname, especially in Portugal, Brazil, East Timor, India (among Catholics in Bombay, Mangalore and Goa), and Galicia. 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.
Etymology and history
The name was originally a toponym, denoting a river in Northern Portugal, from the Latin Saxa, meaning rocks. 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 man from Salvador, Bahia, in Brazil, once the richest man in West Africa due to his involvement in its slave trade.
A prominent family carrying the spelling "de Sousa" emigrated from Portugal to Goa during 1956, before moving to Hong Kong. This was followed by a third relocation in the mid-1960s, to Melbourne, Australia. The family donated their property in Hong Kong to Franciscan nuns.
Scientists, academics and technologists
Marcelo Damy de Souza Santos (1914–2009), Brazilian physicist
Roland deSouza, Pakistani consultant engineer and activist
Teotonio R. de Souza (1947–), Indian historian
Amadeo de Souza Cardoso (1887–1918), Portuguese painter
Aurélia de Souza (1867–1922), Portuguese painter
Francis Newton Souza (1924–2002), Indian painter from Goa
Maurício de Sousa (1935–), Brazilian comic book artist
Solomon Souza Israeli artist, grandson of Francis Newton Souza
Actors and filmmakers
Edward de Souza (1932–), British actor
Genelia D'Souza (1987–), Indian actress
Krystal D'Souza (1990–), Indian television actress
Marjorie de Sousa (1980–), Venezuelan actress and model
Steven E. de Souza (1947–), American producer, director and screenwriter
Sebastian de Souza (1993–), British actor
Karla Souza (1985–), Mexican actress
Musicians, singers and composers
Carmen Souza (1981–), Portuguese-born singer and songwriter of Cape Verde
João de Sousa Carvalho (1745–1798), Portuguese composer of Baroque operas
John Philip Sousa (1854–1932), American composer of marches
Chris de Souza (1943–), British classical music composer
Luciana Souza (1966–), Brazilian singer
Raul de Souza (1934–), Brazilian trombonist
Steve "Zetro" Souza (1964–), American thrash metal singer
Sylvester Chagas D'Souza (1933–99), Indian Goan Konkani Music Composer, Writer and Singer
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), aka Christovão de Sousa Falcão, Portuguese poet
Dinesh D'Souza (1961–), Indian American political commentator, author and criminal
Henrique "Henfil" de Souza Filho (1944–1988), Brazilian cartoonist, caricaturist, journalist and writer
Luís de Sousa (1555–1632), Portuguese monk and writer
Júlio César de Mello e Souza (1895–1974), Brazilian writer and mathematics professor; used the pen name Malba Tahan ("1885–1931")
Manuel de Faria e Sousa (1590–1649), Portuguese historian and poet
Márcio Souza (1946–), Brazilian novelist, essayist and playwright
José de Sousa Saramago (1922–2010), Portuguese novelist, Prémio Camões and Noble Prize in Literature
Noémia de Sousa (1926–2003), Mozambican journalist and poet
Ovídio de Sousa Martins (1928–1999), Cape Verdean poet
Pete Souza (1954–), American photojournalist, current Chief Official White House photographer
Tony D'Souza, American novelist, journalist and essayist
Na D'Souza (1937–), Indian novelist and Kannada language writer
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 aka 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, Law professor, and political analyst
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
Abigail Conceição de Souza (1921–2007), Brazilian footballer
Adrian D'Souza (1984–), Indian field hockey player
Adriano de Souza (1977–), 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
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 aka 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 Sousa (1989–), Portuguese tennis player
Jorge Luiz Sousa a.k.a. Jorginho (1977–), Brazilian footballer
José Ivanaldo de Souza (1975–), Brazilian footballer
José Carlos Leite de Sousa a.k.a. Sousa (1977–), Portuguese footballer
Marcelo de Souza Ramos (1978–), Brazilian footballer
Marcelo de Souza (1975–), Uruguayan 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 (1878–), 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
Archie D'Souza (1941–2006) Pakistani Roman Catholic priest
Aloysius Paul D'Souza (1941–), Bishop of the Mangalore Diocese, India
Basil Salvadore D'Souza (1926–1996), Bishop of the Mangalore Diocese, India
D'Arcy D'Souza (1913–2009) Pakistani Roman Catholic priest
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
Norbert D'Souza, former president of the All India Catholic Union
Terence D'Souza (1932–) Pakistani Canadian Roman Catholic priest
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 Agent Carter 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
