Sowa () is a surname with multiple origins, including Polish, Ghanaian, and Japanese.
Etymology
Europe
Among individuals of European origin, the surname ''Sowa'' is derived from the
Polish
Polish may refer to:
* Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe
* Polish language
* Poles, people from Poland or of Polish descent
* Polish chicken
*Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin screenwr ...
noun "sowa" (
owl). In some cases, it may be an alternative spelling of the surname
Sova, which is a Ukrainian, Czech, Belarusian, Slovak and Russian cognate. Both are derived from
Proto-Slavic *sova.
Polish name expert Kazimierz Rymut mentions the name in his book ''Nazwiska Polaków'' (''The Surnames of Poles''). Rymut says the name appears in records as early as 1404 and comes from the noun ''sowa'', which means "
owl". 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.
Other countries
The surname is also found in Ghana and Japan, with unrelated etymologies.
Notable people
*
Adam Sowa (born 1957), Polish general
*
Adan Sowa
Adan Domingo Sowa (born 15 August 1954) is an Argentine professional golfer.
Sowa was born in Buenos Aires, and turned professional in 1973. He won the Argentine Open twice, in 1978 and 1983, and led the Argentine Professional Rankings on two o ...
(born 1954), Argentine golf player
*
Alexandre Sowa (1927–2017), French racing cyclist
*
Arkadiusz Sowa (born 1979), Polish marathon runner
*
Armin Sowa
Armin Sowa (born 2 August 1959) is a West German former basketball player. He competed in the men's tournament at the 1984 Summer Olympics.
References
External links
*
1959 births
Living people
German men's basketball players
Olympi ...
(born 1959), German basketball player
*
Charles Sowa
Charles Sowa (17 April 1933 – 7 July 2013) was a Luxembourgian race walker and coach. He was born in Schifflange.
He competed at the 1960 Summer Olympics, the 1964 Summer Olympics, the 1968 Summer Olympics and the 1972 Summer Olympics. At t ...
(1933–2013), Luxembourgian race walker and coach
*
François Sowa (born 1937), Luxembourgian boxer
*
Hiroshi Sowa (born 1956), Japanese football player and manager
*
John F. Sowa
John Florian Sowa (born 1940) is an American computer scientist, an expert in artificial intelligence and computer design, and the inventor of conceptual graphs.
Biography
Sowa received a BS in mathematics from Massachusetts Institute of Techno ...
(born 1940), American computer scientist
*
Marc Sowa (born 1963), Luxembourgian racewalker
*
Marzena Sowa
Marzena Sowa (born 1979 in Stalowa Wola) is a Polish cartoonist. Since 2001, she has been living in France. Sowa studied at the Jagiellonian University in Kraków and then at the Michel de Montaigne University Bordeaux 3 in Bordeaux.
Sowa is th ...
(born 1979), Polish cartoonist
*
Michael Sowa
Michael Sowa (born 1945) is a German artist known mainly for his paintings, which are variously whimsical, surreal, or stunning. His paintings often feature animals and are titled in English and German. His art is widely available as posters, notec ...
(born 1945), German artist
*
Richart Sowa, British artist and builder of
Spiral Island
Spiral Island was a floating artificial island built in Mexico by British artist Richart "Reishee" Sowa. It was destroyed by Hurricane Emily in 2005. A replacement, Joyxee Island, had been open for tours since 2008, but closed after it was da ...
*
Theo Sowa (born 1957), Ghanaian writer
*
Theodosius Okan Sowa (1918–2003), Ghanaian diplomat
See also
*
*
Sova (surname)
Sova (Czech/Slovak feminine: Sovová) is a surname. The word literally means " owl" in several Slavic languages. Notable people with this surname include:
* Aleš Sova (born 1991), Czech ice hockey player
* Antonín Sova (1864–1928), Czech poe ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sowa
Polish-language surnames
Surnames of Ghanaian origin
Japanese-language surnames
de:Sowa