ou za . ▁The ▁Spanish ▁equivalent ▁of ▁this ▁surname ▁is ▁S osa . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁colonial ▁era , ▁the ▁Portuguese ▁built ▁for ts ▁along ▁Brazil ian ▁and ▁West ▁African ▁coast al ▁areas ▁for ▁trade , ▁many ▁of ▁which ▁were ▁later ▁used ▁for ▁the ▁slave ▁trade . ▁They ▁also ▁had ▁children ▁with ▁local ▁women , ▁and ▁the ▁children ▁were ▁given ▁their ▁f athers ' ▁last ▁names . ▁ ▁Some ▁Af ro - B raz ili ans ▁who ▁returned ▁to ▁Africa ▁also ▁carry ▁this ▁last ▁name . ▁Among ▁those ▁are ▁the ▁Tab om ▁people , ▁descend ants ▁of ▁Francisco ▁F éli x ▁de ▁S ous a , ▁a ▁white ▁Portuguese - B raz ilian ▁man ▁from ▁Salvador , ▁Bah ia , ▁in ▁Brazil , ▁once ▁the ▁rich est ▁man ▁in ▁West ▁Africa ▁due ▁to ▁his ▁invol vement ▁in ▁its ▁slave ▁trade . ▁ ▁Notable ▁people ▁sharing ▁a ▁variation ▁of ▁the ▁surname ▁S ous a ▁ ▁Scient ists , ▁academ ics ▁and ▁techn olog ists ▁ ▁Marcel o ▁Dam y ▁de ▁Sou za ▁Santos ▁( 1 9 1 4 – 2 0 0 9 ), ▁Brazil ian ▁phys ic ist ▁ ▁Te ot onio ▁R . ▁de ▁Sou za ▁( 1 9 4 7 – 2 0 1 9 ), ▁Indian ▁historian ▁ ▁Ra issa ▁D ' S ou za ▁( 1 9 6 9 – ), ▁The oret ical ▁phys ic ist ▁and ▁computer ▁scient ist ▁ ▁Francisco ▁D ' S ou za ▁( 1 9 6 8 - ), ▁an ▁Indian ▁American ▁entrepr