Sowa (surname)

Sowa is a surname of Polish origin.

Etymology

The surname Sowa finds its origins as a literal unadulterated word in the Polish language. Polish name expert Prof. Kazimierz Rymut mentions this name in his book "Nazwiska Polaków" ("The Surnames of Poles") [Rymut, Kazimierz, "Nazwiska Polaków", Jan 1991, 312 pages.] . Professor Rymut says the name appears in records as early as 1404 and comes from the noun 'sowa', which means 'owl'. Even today, this word may be found in any common Polish dictionary. Fred Hoffman, author of "Polish Surnames", explains that a common practice in the early days of surname adoption was its bestowal upon people as a nickname because of their connection to the meaning behind the name [Hoffman, William F. "Fred", "Polish Surnames: Origins and Meanings"] , which was in this case, an owl.

Ostpreussen (East Prussia) Germany

The Sowa surname first appears on church records in the late 1600s in the small towns and hamlets of the Soldau region of Ostpreussen, Preussen, Germany. This area is located in the north-central area of modern-day Poland and is known as Działdowo. There is also another branch of the Sowa family which is known to have resided at that same time period in south-western corner of modern-day Poland. Why these distinct branches of the Sowa family are separated by such a great distances is currently unknown. Some discussion has been given to a religious rift. The Luthern families went to the north, while the Roman Catholic families went to the south. Earlier history for the Sowa surname is currently unknown due to lack of records for that period. Due to the geopolitical history of the region, the inhabitants may have spoken either German or Polish, depending on which country ruled the region at the time. In almost all cases, the church records were kept in German, and sometimes in Latin. The majority of the names will be found in the records of the Evangelical Lutheren Churches of the time, though there were also some records in the Reformed Lutheren and Catholic Church records. [see records available on microfilm from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints' Genealogical Library in Salt Lake City, Utah.]

outhern Germany

Additional information is needed.

Pronunciation

There are several historical spellings and pronunciations for the surname Sowa, probably dependent on the linguistical influence of the particular time. In earlier dates, the surname appears as Szowa, a Polish spelling rendition, and would be pronounced in English as 'Sho-vah'. In later times, the 'z' was dropped, probably due to increasing German influence, so that it appeared as 'Sowa'. Despite the change in spelling, and according to German pronunciation practice, the name was still pronounced the same, the 'so' combination having the same sound as an 'sh' combination in English. Today, the surname continues the 'Sowa' spelling, but has lost a bit of the original pronunciation. In English it is most commonly and correctly pronounced as 'So-wah', and in Polish as 'So-vah'.

Dissemination

The Sowa surname may be found on most continents of the world as follows:

North America

In North America, it seems that there were three major points of settlement, all in the United States. These were Pennsylvania, Minnesota, and Texas. It is presumed that these three locations were chosen due to the large populations of German immigrants, and climatic and geographical similarities to homeland Germany, thus providing comfortable environment. Today, Sowas are found throughout North America.

Pennsylvania

Most members of the Sowa family in Pennsylvania settled in the areas surrounding the city of Reading. From here, it is also known that some members of the family migrated to Minnesota and elsewhere.

Minnesota

The concentration point for Sowas in Minnesota were the areas surrounding the city of Popple Creek [Sowa, Edward F., "Ancestral Branches of the Sowa Family", 1983, 1994. 2 v. (290, 237p).] .

Texas

The Sowa families of Texas emigrated primarily from the southwestern area of Poland mentioned previously. There has been little or no connection proven as yet between the Sowa families of Texas and those of Pennsylvania and Minnesota.

Europe

The Sowa surname exists throughout Europe.

Australia

The Sowa surname is found in Australia, probably due to documented migration in the late 1800s.

Notable people

* John F. Sowa, a computer scientist
* Edward F. Sowa, author and historian.
* Michael Sowa, a German Artist.
* Richart Sowa, builder of Spiral Island.

Notable places

* Sowa, a town in Botswana

References