Explore the Family Name Souza
The meaning of Souza
Portuguese and Galician: variant of Sousa. Compare De Souza and Soza. Some characteristic forenames: Spanish Manuel, Jose, Sergio, Marcos, Mario, Carlos, Geraldo, Luiz, Ricardo, Fernando, Claudio, Jaime. Portuguese Paulo, Joao, Marcio, Henrique, Joaquim, Mateus, Ademir, Altair, Heitor, Manoel, Sebastiao, Terezinha.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Souza in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Souza has seen a slight increase in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Souza was ranked as the 1627th most popular surname, but by 2010 it had moved up to the 1601st position, reflecting a change of 1.6%. Additionally, the count of people with the surname Souza grew from 20,168 in 2000 to 22,373 in 2010, marking an increase of almost 11%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,627 | #1,601 | 1.6% |
| Count | 20,168 | 22,373 | 10.93% |
| Proportion per 100k | 7.48 | 7.58 | 1.34% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Souza
Looking at the ethnic identity associated with the Souza surname, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals some shifts over the decade. The proportion of Souzas identifying as White increased slightly from 78.96% in 2000 to 80.98% in 2010. Meanwhile, those identifying as Hispanic saw an increase of nearly 13% during the same period. Interestingly, there was a significant surge in the number of Souzas identifying as Black, up 260% from 2000. However, the number of Souzas claiming two or more races decreased by 50.2%, and those identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native also fell by around 31%. The percentage of Souzas identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander saw an increase of approximately 11.55%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 78.96% | 80.98% | 2.56% |
| Hispanic | 7.02% | 7.92% | 12.82% |
| Two or More Races | 10.08% | 5.02% | -50.2% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 2.77% | 3.09% | 11.55% |
| Black | 0.75% | 2.7% | 260% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.42% | 0.29% | -30.95% |
Souza ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Souza is Spanish & Portuguese, which comprises 48.9% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (19.4%) and French & German (8.5%). Additional ancestries include Italian, Indigenous American, Eastern European, Scandinavian, and Angolan & Congolese.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| Spanish & Portuguese | 48.9% |
| British & Irish | 19.4% |
| French & German | 8.5% |
| Other | 23.2% |
Possible origins of the surname Souza
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Souza have recent ancestry locations in Portugal and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Azores, Portugal | 68.90% |
| Madeira, Portugal | 68.40% |
| Aveiro District, Portugal | 64.60% |
| Lisbon, Portugal | 64.00% |
| Coimbra District, Portugal | 58.20% |
What Souza haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Souza is R-P311, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-P311 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include E-M183 and R-L51, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Pereira, Ferreira, Gomes, Fernandes, Oliveira, Da Silva, Sousa, Lopes, Rodrigues, Fernandez.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Souza surname are: A2, H1, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Souza have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Souza" Surname 41.1%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Souza" Surname 26.4%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Souza" Surname 19.3%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Souza" Surname 16.9%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Souza?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Souza are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition