De souza History, Family Crest & Coats of ArmsThis place-name is derived from the Latin word 'salsa,' which means 'salty,' and indicates that the location so named was once known for a salt deposit. Alternatively, the name could have been derived from the Latin word Saxa, later Sausa, meaning 'rocks'. Early Origins of the De souza familyThe surname De souza was first found in northern Portugal, where many take their name from the Sousa River, a tributary of the Douro. Don Egal Gomes de Sousa (1035-?) was an 11th century Lord and the first known bearer of the name. He was Lord of Sousa, Novelas and Felgueiras, and took his name from his estates in the first Lordship. Don Egal was the grandson of King Fernando of Castille and married dona Falmula Gomes, great, great grand-daughter of King Ramiro I. He was governor of the entire region of Entre Douro e MinhoIt and is thought that the line of the De souza family descends from their noble roots. Early History of the De souza familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our De souza research. The years 1386, 1500, 1503, 1512, 1555, 1557, 1564, 1579, 1583, 1590, 1594, 1624, 1631, 1632, 1649, 1663, 1666, 1714 and 1722 are included under the topic Early De souza History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. De souza Spelling VariationsSpelling variations of this family name include: De Sousa, De Souza, De Sosa, De Soza, Sousa, Souza, Sosa and many more. Early Notables of the De souza familyProminent members of the family include
De souza RankingIn the United States, the name De souza is the 9,581st most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1 However, in France, the name De souza is ranked the 4,915th most popular surname with an estimated 1,500 - 2,000 people with that name. 2
Some of the first settlers of this family name were: De souza Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
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