Find out how popular the last name D'Souza is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named D'Souza.

D'Souza, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the D'Souza surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of D'Souza in America

D'Souza is the 9511th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The D'Souza surname appeared 3,417 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname D'Souza.

We can also compare 2010 data for D'Souza to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name D'Souza

The surname DSOUZA has its origins in the Goan region of India, where it traces its roots back to the 16th century. It is a Portuguese-influenced spelling of the name "de Souza," which itself derives from the Portuguese word "sousa," meaning a place of willows or a willow grove. The name's earliest recorded instances can be found in baptismal records from the Catholic Church in Goa, following the Portuguese colonization of the region.

As a surname, DSOUZA is believed to have first emerged among the Portuguese-influenced Catholic community of Goa, many of whom adopted Portuguese surnames during the colonial period. The name likely originated as a reference to a person's place of origin or residence, indicating they hailed from an area known for its willow groves.

One of the earliest documented individuals bearing the surname DSOUZA was Goncalo de Sousa, a Portuguese explorer and navigator who played a significant role in the establishment of Portuguese rule in India during the early 16th century. Born in 1480, he was appointed the first viceroy of Portuguese India in 1505 and oversaw the expansion of Portuguese territories in the region.

Another notable figure associated with the name was Luiz de Sousa, a 17th-century Portuguese Jesuit missionary and writer, born in 1555. He is renowned for his contributions to Portuguese literature, including his widely acclaimed work, "The Life of the Venerable Father Mestre João de Almeida."

In the 18th century, Bernardo de Sousa Rego, born in 1690, was a prominent Portuguese military commander who served as the Governor of Mozambique and later as the Captain-General of the Portuguese Azores Islands. His legacy includes several military campaigns and contributions to the administration of Portuguese colonial territories.

Moving into the 19th century, Manuel de Sousa Coutinho, born in 1805, was a Brazilian politician and diplomat who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs for Brazil during the reign of Emperor Pedro II. He played a crucial role in shaping Brazil's foreign policy and diplomatic relations during a pivotal period in the country's history.

Finally, Alfredo de Sousa Mendes, born in 1879, was a Portuguese diplomat who gained recognition for his humanitarian efforts during World War II. As the Portuguese consul in Bordeaux, France, he defied orders from his government and issued thousands of visas to Jewish refugees, allowing them to escape Nazi persecution. His actions were later recognized by Israel, which honored him as one of the "Righteous Among the Nations."

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name D'Souza

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname D'Souza.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for D'Souza was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of D'Souza has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name D'Souza was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of D'Souza, please contact us.

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