NameCensus.

UK surname

Sousa

A Portuguese toponymic surname indicating someone from the town of Sousa in Portugal or referring to the Sousa rivers.

In the 1881 census there were 6 people recorded with the Sousa surname, ranking it #32,926 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,484, ranked #4,158, up from #32,926 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Westminster, Bournemouth and Lambeth.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Sousa is 1,484 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 24633.3%.

1881 census count

6

Ranked #32,926

Modern count

1,484

2016, ranked #4,158

Peak year

2016

1,484 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Sousa had 6 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #32,926 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,484 in 2016, ranked #4,158.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 7 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ethnically Diverse Young Families.

Sousa surname distribution map

The map shows where the Sousa surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Sousa surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Sousa over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1881 historical 6 #32,926
1911 historical 7 #33,083
1997 modern 246 #15,445
1998 modern 293 #14,094
1999 modern 334 #13,022
2000 modern 377 #11,903
2001 modern 347 #12,449
2002 modern 419 #11,059
2003 modern 451 #10,274
2004 modern 506 #9,437
2005 modern 589 #8,388
2006 modern 695 #7,396
2007 modern 763 #6,960
2008 modern 863 #6,342
2009 modern 984 #5,840
2010 modern 1,138 #5,280
2011 modern 1,070 #5,499
2012 modern 1,211 #4,877
2013 modern 1,314 #4,612
2014 modern 1,373 #4,463
2015 modern 1,390 #4,377
2016 modern 1,484 #4,158

Geography

Back to top

Where Sousas are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Westminster, Bournemouth, Lambeth and Brent. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Westminster 004 Westminster
2 Bournemouth 019 Bournemouth
3 Lambeth 011 Lambeth
4 Brent 031 Brent
5 Lambeth 010 Lambeth

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Sousa

These lists show first names that appear often with the Sousa surname in historical and recent records.

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Sousa

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Sousa, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Ethnically Diverse Young Families

Nationally, the Sousa surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ethnically Diverse Young Families, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Sousa household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group includes many younger parents born overseas (particularly in Africa or EU countries) with children aged 0-4. Individuals identifying as of Mixed or Multiple ethnicities are also common. English may not be the primary language spoken. Accommodation consists principally of flats, and many properties are socially rented and/or overcrowded. Students are also present, unemployment is common, and other adults tend to work in low skilled jobs.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Sousa is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Sousa is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Sousa falls in decile 3 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Sousa is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Other

This describes the area pattern most associated with Sousa, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Sousa

The surname Sousa originated in Portugal, tracing its roots back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Portuguese place name "Sousa," which refers to a municipality located in the northern region of Entre Douro e Minho. The place name itself is thought to have originated from the Latin word "sausa," meaning "willow grove" or "willow plantation."

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Sousa can be found in medieval Portuguese charters and documents, often associated with noble families from the region. One notable example is the 13th-century nobleman Gonçalo Garcia de Sousa, who served as a military commander during the Reconquista period and was granted lands in the region of Sousa for his service.

Over the centuries, variations of the spelling emerged, including Sosa, Souza, and Sooza, reflecting regional linguistic differences and scribal variations common in historical records. The surname also became linked to several prominent figures in Portuguese history, such as Martim Afonso de Sousa, a 16th-century explorer and colonial administrator who played a significant role in the Portuguese colonization of Brazil.

Beyond Portugal, the surname Sousa has spread to various parts of the world through emigration and colonization. One notable bearer of the name was John Philip Sousa (1854-1932), an American composer and conductor widely regarded as the "King of March" for his iconic military marches, including "The Stars and Stripes Forever."

Another prominent figure was Luis Muñoz Sousa (1898-1968), a Puerto Rican politician and diplomat who served as the first democratically elected governor of Puerto Rico. In the arts, João Sousa Carvalho (1745-1798) was a celebrated Portuguese painter and engraver during the Baroque period, known for his religious works and engravings.

The surname Sousa has also been associated with notable figures in sports, such as José Paulo Bezerra Maciel Sousa (born 1965), better known as Paulo Sousa, a former Portuguese footballer and current manager who has coached several international teams.

Sousa continues to be a prominent surname in Portugal, Brazil, and other Portuguese-speaking regions, as well as in communities with significant Portuguese diaspora populations around the world.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Sousa families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Sousa surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 6 Sousas recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.27x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 6 10.27x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Clerkenwell London in Middlesex leads with 5 Sousas recorded in 1881 and an index of 362.32x.

Place Total Index
Clerkenwell London 5 362.32x
Bow London 1 135.14x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Sousa surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Emma 2
Mary 1
Phoebe 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Sousa surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Andrew 1
Joseph 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Sousa households.

Occupation Count
Scholar 1
Warehouseman 1

FAQ

Sousa surname: questions and answers

How common was the Sousa surname in 1881?

In 1881, 6 people were recorded with the Sousa surname. That placed it at #32,926 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Sousa surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,484 in 2016. That gives Sousa a modern rank of #4,158.

What does the Sousa surname mean?

A Portuguese toponymic surname indicating someone from the town of Sousa in Portugal or referring to the Sousa rivers.

What does the Sousa map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Sousa bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.