2000
#9,287
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,227
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.20
Rare Last name
Desousa
A Portuguese toponymic surname indicating someone from the town of Sousa or the Sousa River valley.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,114 Americans carry the last name Desousa. That puts it at #7,216 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.49 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 67,023 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Desousa surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Desousa with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.1K
1 in 67,023
Census rank
#7,216
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,460 bearers of the surname Desousa in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.49 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7216th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Desousa, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.8%) and Black (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Desousa
The surname DeSousa originated in Portugal and is thought to be derived from the Portuguese word "sousa," which refers to a small river or stream. It is believed to have first appeared in the northern region of Portugal during the 12th or 13th century.
The name may have originated as a descriptive surname, referring to someone who lived near a small river or stream called Sousa. It is also possible that the name was derived from a specific place name or village named Sousa, though the exact origin is uncertain.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name DeSousa can be found in a Portuguese manuscript from the 14th century, which mentions a nobleman named João de Sousa. This suggests that the name was already established among the Portuguese nobility by that time.
In the 15th century, a prominent Portuguese explorer named Pero de Sousa played a significant role in the exploration and colonization of Brazil. He was among the first Europeans to establish settlements along the Brazilian coast in the early 1500s.
Another notable figure with the surname DeSousa was Martim Afonso de Sousa, a Portuguese colonial administrator and explorer who served as the third Governor-General of Portuguese India from 1542 to 1545. He was instrumental in consolidating Portuguese control over the western coast of India.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name DeSousa began to spread beyond Portugal as Portuguese explorers, traders, and colonists established settlements in various parts of the world. The name can be found in historical records from regions such as Brazil, Goa (India), and parts of Africa that were under Portuguese influence.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in Brazil dates back to the late 16th century, when Francisco de Sousa Coutinho was appointed as the Governor-General of Brazil from 1590 to 1602. He played a significant role in the development of the Brazilian colony during its early years.
In the 18th century, Luís de Sousa Botelho Mourão, a Portuguese military officer and colonial administrator, served as the Governor of Portuguese Timor from 1786 to 1789. He is notable for his efforts to improve the administration and defense of the colony during his tenure.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Desousa
Among Census respondents with the surname Desousa, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.8%) and Black (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Desousa bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Desousa surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White77.8% · 3,472
- Hispanic or Latino11.8% · 525
- Black or African American4.5% · 202
- Two or more races3.1% · 137
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.5% · 113
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Desousa
Desousa appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#8,437
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,915
+688 bearers (+21.3%)
Per 100,000 1.33
Rank movement Up 850 places
2020
#7,216
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,460
+545 bearers (+13.9%)
Per 100,000 1.49
Rank movement Up 1,221 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,287 | 3,227 | 1.20 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,437 | 3,915 | 1.33 | +688 bearers (+21.3%) | Up 850 places |
| 2020 | #7,216 | 4,460 | 1.49 | +545 bearers (+13.9%) | Up 1,221 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Desousa surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #8,437 | #7,216 | 14.5% |
| Count | 3,915 | 4,460 | 13.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.33 | 1.49 | 12.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Desousa bearers went from 3,915 to 4,460 (+13.9% change). The surname moved up 1,221 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,437 to #7,216.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Desousa
FAQ
Desousa surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Desousa?
Name Census estimates that about 5,114 living Americans carry the surname Desousa. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 67,023 residents.
How common is Desousa?
Desousa ranks #7,216 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.49 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,460 people with the surname Desousa. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,114), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.49 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.49 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Desousa.
Has Desousa become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Desousa went from 3,915 recorded bearers to 4,460. That is an increase of 545 (+13.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #8,437 to #7,216.
What does the Census say about the background of Desousa?
Among Census respondents with the surname Desousa, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.8%) and Black (4.5%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Desousa in the 2020 Census, accounting for 77.8% (3,472 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Desousa appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (77.8%), Hispanic (11.8%), Black (4.5%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Desousa (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Desousa mean?
A Portuguese toponymic surname indicating someone from the town of Sousa or the Sousa River valley. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Desousa (1.49 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Desousa?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.