Souza History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Portugal
Spain

This 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 Souza family

The surname 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 Souza family descends from their noble roots.

Early History of the Souza family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our 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 Souza History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Souza Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: De Sousa, De Souza, De Sosa, De Soza, Sousa, Souza, Sosa and many more.

Early Notables of the Souza family

Prominent members of the family include

Tomé de Souza (1503-1579), the first governor of Brazil and founded Salvador, Bahia; and João de Sousa, 3rd Marquis of Minas (1666-1722), the 6th Count of Prado, Portuguese nobleman and member of the...

Souza Ranking

In the United States, the name Souza is the 1,695^th most popular surname with an estimated 17,409 people with that name. 1

Souza migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Souza Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Eligio Souza, who arrived in Puerto Rico in 1881 2

Souza Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Agostinho Jose Tavaies Souza, aged 25, who settled in America from Neiros, Portugal, in 1912
Amalia Souza, aged 19, who immigrated to the United States from Loule, Portugal, in 1916
Adelaide Souza, aged 22, who landed in America from Lisbon, Portugal, in 1916
Alexandre Souza, aged 22, who settled in America from Villa Verde, Portugal, in 1916
Alfredo Souza, aged 25, who immigrated to the United States from Va. P. Aguiar, Portugal, in 1916
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Souza (post 1700) +

Joe Souza (b. 1970), American singer and actor
Justin Richard Souza (b. 1985), American professional baseball player
Steven E. de Souza (b. 1947), American producer, director and screenwriter
Pete Souza (b. 1954), American photojournalist and the current chief White House photographer for President Barack Obama
Michael Souza (b. 1978), American professional ice hockey forward
Edward Souza (1921-1979), American soccer player
James Souza, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Hawaii, 1964 3
Florentin Souza, American politician, U.S. Consular Agent in Champerico, 1884 3
Elsie Souza, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Massachusetts, 1996, 2004 3
Cliff Souza, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from California, 2004 3
... (Another 20 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 23) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html