2000
#7,003
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,413
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.64
Uncommon Last name
Desouza
Of Portuguese origin, referring to someone from the town of Sousa in Portugal.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 10,231 Americans carry the last name Desouza. That puts it at #3,871 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.98 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 33,502 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Desouza 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 Desouza with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
10K
1 in 33,502
Census rank
#3,871
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
8.9K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 8,922 bearers of the surname Desouza in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.98 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3871st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Desouza, the largest self-reported group is White at 60.3%. The next largest groups are Black (16.9%) and Hispanic (9.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Desouza
The surname DESOUZA originated in Portugal, with its roots dating back to the 15th century. It is derived from the Portuguese words "de" meaning "from" and "Souza," which is a place name referring to the town of Sousa in northern Portugal. The name is sometimes spelled as DE SOUSA or DE SOUZA, reflecting its Portuguese origins.
DESOUZA is believed to have been initially adopted by individuals who hailed from the town of Sousa or its surrounding areas. As families migrated and settled in different regions, the name spread across Portugal and eventually to other parts of the world, particularly to Portuguese colonies and territories.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the DESOUZA surname can be found in the "Livro das Linhagens" (Book of Lineages), a medieval Portuguese manuscript that chronicles the genealogy of noble families. This work, compiled in the 13th and 14th centuries, mentions individuals bearing the DESOUZA name, indicating its longstanding presence in Portuguese history.
During the Age of Exploration, as Portuguese explorers and colonizers ventured across the globe, the DESOUZA surname traveled with them. Prominent figures with this name emerged in various parts of the world, contributing to the spread and recognition of the surname.
One notable individual was Tomé de Sousa (c. 1503-1579), a Portuguese explorer and colonial administrator who served as the first Governor-General of Brazil from 1549 to 1553. He played a crucial role in establishing Portuguese settlements in the colony and laid the foundations for the future development of Brazil.
Another individual of historical significance was Luís de Sousa (1555-1632), a Portuguese writer and historian who authored works such as "A Vida de D. Frei Bartolomeu dos Mártires" (The Life of D. Frei Bartolomeu dos Mártires), a renowned biography of a 16th-century Portuguese theologian and writer.
In the realm of arts and culture, João de Sousa Carvalho (1745-1798) was a Portuguese painter and architect known for his work in the Neoclassical style. He contributed to the design and decoration of several notable buildings in Portugal, including the Palácio da Ajuda in Lisbon.
Moving to more recent times, Manuel de Sousa (1858-1919) was a prominent Portuguese politician who served as Prime Minister of Portugal from 1911 to 1912 during the early years of the First Portuguese Republic.
Lastly, José de Sousa Saramago (1922-2010) was a renowned Portuguese writer and recipient of the 1998 Nobel Prize in Literature. His works, such as "Ensaio sobre a Cegueira" (Blindness) and "Memorial do Convento" (Memoir of the Convent), have been widely acclaimed and translated into numerous languages.
Overall, the DESOUZA surname has a rich and diverse history, originating in Portugal and spreading across the globe through exploration, colonization, and migration. It has been carried by individuals who have made significant contributions in various fields, leaving an indelible mark on the cultural and historical tapestry of numerous regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Desouza
Among Census respondents with the surname Desouza, the largest self-reported group is White at 60.3%. The next largest groups are Black (16.9%) and Hispanic (9.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Desouza 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 Desouza surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White60.3% · 5,376
- Black or African American16.9% · 1,508
- Hispanic or Latino9.1% · 813
- Asian and Pacific Islander8.4% · 749
- Two or more races4.9% · 434
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 42
Timeline
Historical Census data for Desouza
Desouza 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
#5,255
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,639
+2,226 bearers (+50.4%)
Per 100,000 2.25
Rank movement Up 1,748 places
2020
#3,871
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,922
+2,283 bearers (+34.4%)
Per 100,000 2.98
Rank movement Up 1,384 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,003 | 4,413 | 1.64 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,255 | 6,639 | 2.25 | +2,226 bearers (+50.4%) | Up 1,748 places |
| 2020 | #3,871 | 8,922 | 2.98 | +2,283 bearers (+34.4%) | Up 1,384 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 Desouza 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 | #5,255 | #3,871 | 26.3% |
| Count | 6,639 | 8,922 | 34.4% |
| Per 100K | 2.25 | 2.98 | 32.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Desouza bearers went from 6,639 to 8,922 (+34.4% change). The surname moved up 1,384 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,255 to #3,871.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Desouza
FAQ
Desouza surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Desouza?
Name Census estimates that about 10,231 living Americans carry the surname Desouza. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 33,502 residents.
How common is Desouza?
Desouza ranks #3,871 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.98 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 8,922 people with the surname Desouza. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (10,231), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.98 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.98 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Desouza.
Has Desouza become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Desouza went from 6,639 recorded bearers to 8,922. That is an increase of 2,283 (+34.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #5,255 to #3,871.
What does the Census say about the background of Desouza?
Among Census respondents with the surname Desouza, the largest self-reported group is White at 60.3%. The next largest groups are Black (16.9%) and Hispanic (9.1%). 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 Desouza in the 2020 Census, accounting for 60.3% (5,376 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Desouza appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (60.3%), Black (16.9%), Hispanic (9.1%). 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 Desouza (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 Desouza mean?
Of Portuguese origin, referring to someone from the town of Sousa in Portugal. 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 Desouza (2.98 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 are called Desouza?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how common the surname Desouza is at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.