The surname Sowa has its origins as a literal unadulterated word in the Polish language. Polish name expert Kazimierz Rymut mentions the name in his book Nazwiska Polaków. 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, as well as Belorussian, Russian and Ukrainian. 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, which was, in this case, an owl.
Ostpreussen (East Prussia) Germany
The Sowa surname first appears on church records in the late 17th century in the small towns and hamlets of the Soldau region of Ostpreussen, Preussen, Germany, an area in the north-central area of modern-day Poland and known as Działdowo. There is also another branch of the Sowa family which is known to have resided at that same period in the south-western corner of modern-day Poland. Why these distinct branches of the Sowa family are separated by such a great distances is unknown. Some discussion has been given to a religious rift: The Lutheran families went to the north, while the Roman Catholic families went to the south. Earlier history for the Sowa surname is 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 Lutheran Churches of the time, though there were also some records in the Reformed Lutheran and Catholic Church records.
Southern Germany
Additional information is needed. The surname does exist there, but it is possible and likely that the Sowas there, migrated from elsewhere, as it is a Slavic and not a German-origin word. One Sowa migrated there from southern Poland in the 1920s.
As the word sowa, has the same meaning, owl, in Ukrainian, it is found among Ukrainians both in Ukraine, and in the diaspora. There are two spellings: Sowa and Sova. In Ukrainian usage, as in Polish, the w is always pronounced as v. It is unclear if the Ukrainian Sowas are related to the Polish Sowas, or if the surname originated separately. It is noted the name Sova also exists among Czechs and Slovaks. This is actually a very common phenomenon, when the same word with the same meaning is found in a number of Slavic languages.
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:
In North America, it seems that there were three major points of settlement, in the United States: 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. As well, Canadian hotspots for the name are Manitoba and Ontario. Today, Sowas are found throughout North America.
The descendants of Philip Sowa have had a large presence in Rhode Island since the early 20th century.
Pennsylvania
Most members of the Sowa family in Pennsylvania settled in the areas surrounding the city of Reading. From there, 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.
Texas
The Sowa families of Texas emigrated primarily from the southwestern area of Poland mentioned previously. There has been little or no connection proven 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 19th century.
Africa
The Sowa surname is also found in Sierra Leone and Ghana, some are spelled with an 'h' at the end, which is now pronounced,'Sowah'.
