Sousa (surname)

Sousa

Coat of arms associated to Sousa (do Prado branch) surname
Origin
Meaning	"rock"
Region of origin	Portugal
Other names
Related names	de Sousa, Souza, de Souza, D'Souza

Sousa (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈsozɐ]) or de Sousa (literally, from Sousa) is a common Portuguese language surname, especially in Portugal, Brazil, and 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. During the colonial era, the Portuguese stayed at the coast and built many forts along the coastal areas for trade which was later used for the slave trade. They also had children with the women and the children automatically were given their fathers' last names. Afro Brazilians who came back to Africa also carry this last name. Among some of those people are the Tabom people, descendants of Francisco Félix de Sousa, a white man from Salvador, Bahia in Brazil, once known to be the richest man in west Africa due to his involvement in the slave trade in West Africa.

A prominent family carrying the spelling de Sousa emigrated from Portugal to Goa during mid 1956, before leaving to Hong Kong. This was followed by a third relocation in the mid 1960s, where they now reside in Melbourne, Australia. The family donated their property in Hong Kong to Franciscan nuns.

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. As a name, it may refer to:

General

• John Philip Sousa (1854-1932), American composer
• Amadeo de Souza Cardoso (1887–1918), Portuguese painter
• Aristides de Sousa Mendes (1885–1954), Portuguese diplomat
• Aurélia de Souza (1867–1922), Portuguese painter.
• Felipa de Souza (1556–1600), Portuguese-Brazilian lesbian convicted and tortured by the Inquisition
• Frances D'Souza, Baroness D'Souza (1944–), British scientist
• Francis Newton Souza (1924–2002), Indian artist from Goa
• Luiz Martins de Souza Dantas (1876–1954), Brazilian diplomat
• Marcelo Damy de Souza Santos (1914–2009), Brazilian physicist
• Martim Afonso de Sousa (ca 1500–1571), Portuguese explorer
• Maurício de Sousa (1935–), Brazilian comic-book artist
• Dona Ana de Sousa (ca 1583–1663), aka Ngola Ann Nzinga Mbande, Angolan queen
• Roland deSouza, Pakistani consultant engineer and activist
• Sabrina De Sousa (ca 1956–1985), American diplomat
• Teotonio R. de Souza (1947–), Indian historian
• Tomé de Sousa (1503–1579), Portuguese nobleman and first governor-general of Brazil
• Aloysius Paul D’Souza (1941–), Bishop of the Mangalore Diocese, India
• Basil Salvadore D’Souza (1926–1996), Bishop of the Mangalore Diocese, India
• Humberto Sousa Medeiros (1915–1983), Catholic Cardinal and Archbishop of Boston, Massachusetts
• Melwin D'souza (Immortal), R&D Engineer and extempore dancer at Nokia Solutions and Networks, Bangalore

Cinema

• Edward de Souza (1932–), British actor
• Genelia D'Souza (1987–), Indian actress.
• Krystal D'Souza (1990-), Indian television actress
• Steven E. de Souza (1947–), United States producer, director and screenwriter
• Sebastian de Souza (1993–), British actor
• Neil Gabriel De Sousa (1972-), director, producer, and screenwriter

Music

• João de Sousa Carvalho (1745–1798), Portuguese composer of Baroque operas
• John Philip Sousa (1854–1932), military-music composer from the United States
• Chris de Souza (1943-), British classical music composer
• Luciana Souza (1966–), Brazilian singer
• Olga Souza (1968–), Brazilian singer
• Raul de Souza (1934–), Brazilian trombonist
• Steve 'Zetro' Souza, American thrash-metal singer
• Sylvester Chagas D'Souza,(1933-1999) Indian Konkani Composer, Singer and Director

Writers and journalists

• Adelaide Filleul, Marquise de Souza-Botelho (1761–1836), French writer
• Amílcar de Sousa (1876–1940), Portuguese writer
• Christovão Falcão (1512? – 1557), aka Christovão de Sousa Falcão, Portuguese poet
• Dinesh D'Souza (1961–), United States writer
• 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 professor of mathematics; often used the pen name Malba Tahan of a fictional Persian scholar ("1885–1931")
• Manuel de Faria e Sousa (1590–1649), Portuguese historian and poet
• Márcio Souza (1946–), Brazilian writer
• José de Sousa Saramago (1922-2010), Portuguese writer, Prémio Camões and Noble Prize in Literature
• Noémia de Sousa (1926–2003), Mozambican writer
• Ovídio de Sousa Martins (1928–1999), Cape Verdean poet
• Pete Souza (1954–), American photojournalist, current Chief Official White House photographer
• Steve Souza, American heavy metal/thrash metal singer
• Tony D'Souza, United States writer

Politicians

• Charles Sousa (1958–), Canadian politician
• Christopher de Souza (1976–), Singaporean Member of Parliament
• Fitz Remedios Santana de Souza (1929–), Kenyan lawyer and politician
• Herbert de Souza (1935–1997), Brazilian sociologist, politician and activist
• Jerónimo de Sousa (1947–), Portuguese politician
• José Sócrates Carvalho Pinto de Sousa (1957–), Portuguese politician and former Prime-Minister of Portugal
• 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
• Paulo Renato Souza (1945–2011), Brazilian politician
• Sérgio Sousa Pinto (1972–), Portuguese politician
• Washington Luís Pereira de Sousa (1869–1957), Brazilian politician

Sports

• Abigail Conceição de Souza (1921–2007), Brazilian footballer
• 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-), Brazilian footballer
• Edson Edmar Dias de Souza (1987–), aka Mateus Paraná, Brazilian footballer
• Erika de Souza (1982), Brazilian basketball player
• Fábio de Souza aka Fabinho (1975–), Brazilian footballer
• Frederico Sousa (1978–), Portuguese rugby player
• Gesias Calvancante Souza aka JZ Calvan (1983–), Brazilian MMA fighter
• Givanildo Vieira de Souza (1986–), Brazilian footballer, better known as Hulk
• Hélia Souza (1970–), Brazilian volleyball player
• Hudson de Souza (1977–), Brazilian middle distance runner
• Jenílson Ângelo de Souza aka Júnior (1973), Brazilian footballer
• Jorge Luiz Sousa aka Jorginho (1977–), Brazilian footballer
• José Ivanaldo de Souza (1975–), Brazilian footballer
• José Carlos Leite de Sousa(1977–), aka Sousa, Portuguese footballer
• Marcelo de Souza Ramos (1978–), Brazilian footballer
• Marcelo de Souza (1975–), Uruguayan footballer
• Márcio Rafael Ferreira de Souza, aka Rafinha (1985–), Brazilian footballer
• Marcus Vinicius de Souza, aka Marcus Vinicius (1984–), Brazilian basketball player
• Nadson Rodrigues de Souza (1982–), Brazilian footballer
• Paulo Manuel Carvalho de Sousa (1970–), Portuguese former footballer
• Robert de Pinho de Souza aka Robert (1981–), Brazilian footballer
• Robson de Souza aka Robinho (1984–), Brazilian footballer
• Rodrigo de Souza Cardoso (1982–), Brazilian footballer
• Romário de Souza Faria aka Romário (1966–), Brazilian former footballer
• Ronaldo Souza dos Santos aka Jacaré (1878–), Brazilian MMA fighter
• Silvestre de Sousa (1980-), Brazilian jockey
• Stephie D'Souza (1936–1998), Indian track-and-field athlete and hockey player
• Tony de Souza (1974–), Peruvian wrestler.
• Vágner Silva de Souza (1984–), aka Vágner Love, Brazilian footballer

Religious

• Archie D’Souza (1941 - 2006 ) Pakistani Roman Catholic priest
• Francis de Souza (1924- ) Pakistani Roman Catholic priest
• Norbert D'Souza, former president of the All India Catholic Union (1992-2000)
• Terence D'Souza (1932- ) Canadian Roman Catholic priest
• James deSouza (1925- ) Pakistani Roman Catholic priest
• D'Arcy D'Souza (1913 –2009) Pakistani Roman Catholic priest
• Simplicio de Souza (1966 - ) Goan Roman Catholic priest.

Fictional characters

• Anna De Souza, in Emmerdale TV-series.
• Donald De Souza, in Emmerdale TV-series.
• Miles De Souza, in Emmerdale TV-series.
• Madame Souza, in The Triplets of Belleville animated film.
• Bianca DeSousa, in Degrassi: The Next Generation TV-series.