Sousa

Sousa is a surname of Portuguese origin. It is a toponymic name tied to places named Sousa in the Iberian Peninsula, and it spread through Portuguese exploration and settlement to Brazil and other Portuguese-speaking regions. The form de Sousa appears in historical records and can be found in various spellings depending on country and era.

In modern usage, Sousa is common in Portugal and Brazil and among communities of Portuguese descent around the world. The surname is found across a range of professions and social strata, reflecting the widespread migration and diaspora of Lusophone populations.

The best known bearer of the name is John Philip Sousa (1854–1932), an American composer and conductor celebrated as the “March King” for his prolific marches such as The Liberty Bell and The Stars and Stripes Forever. His prominence in American musical life helped solidify the association of the name with cultural and national identity in the United States.

Geographically, Sousa is also the name of places, including Sousa, Paraíba, a municipality in northeastern Brazil. The name appears in other localities within Portugal and Brazil, and it is used in various institutional and geographic designations across the Portuguese-speaking world.

Overall, Sousa functions as both a surname and a place-based toponym with a notable cultural footprint in music and a broad distribution in Lusophone communities.