The Porter surname
In the 2010 U.S. Census, 163,054 people carried this name — #159 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 1,810 people counted. That is up 4% from 156,848 in 2000.
What the name means
The meaning of the Porter surname
From Middle English Porter, from porter (“porter”),
From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Porter» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.
In Ireland’s birth registers, 1890
Ireland registered 73 births for the Porter name in 1890.
Most were registered in Ulster. By the Registrar-General’s own method — births multiplied by 44.38 — that is about 3,200 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time. The Registrar-General’s note on the name: “Antrim, Down, Londonderry, and Armagh.”
Where it concentrates, on the mapWhere they were born, 1890
Registrar-General for Ireland, «Special Report on Surnames in Ireland» (R. E. Matheson, 1894), births index of 1890 — public domain.
In Argentina’s national register
At least 136 people named Porter live in Argentina.
RENAPER only publishes a name in a province when more than ten people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Buenos Aires Province.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they live today
RENAPER (National Registry of Persons, Argentina), surnames of residents by province, December 2021 — CC BY 4.0.
In France’s civil register
France’s register of deaths holds 65 people named Porter.
Most of them — 36 — were born outside France. Those born in France came from 7 départements, most often Paris.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they were born
Fichier des personnes décédées, INSEE — Licence Ouverte 2.0 · deaths recorded in France since 1970, by place of birth.
In Switzerland’s population statistics
58 people named Porter live in Switzerland.
They live in 9 of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, most of all in Vaud.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they live today
Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO), «Surnames of the permanent resident population by canton», 2025, opendata.swiss/en/dataset/nachnamen-der-standigen-wohnbevolkerung-nach-kanton3 · names with fewer than 3 bearers in a canton are not published.
In Poland’s population register
29 people named Porter have a registered home in Poland.
Of the 91 in Poland’s national register, these are the ones with a permanent address on file. They live in 4 of Poland’s 16 voivodeships, most of all in Masovian.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they live today
PESEL register, Ministry of Digital Affairs of Poland (dane.gov.pl) — CC0 · living people by voivodeship of permanent residence, 20 January 2026.
In the Nordic population registers
118 people named Porter are counted in Sweden and Finland.
Sweden’s figure is from 31 December 2022, the last count Statistics Sweden published. Finland counts its citizens, at home or abroad.
Counted, by country
Own calculations based on data from Statistics Sweden (SCB), surnames with at least two bearers, 31 December 2022 — CC BY 4.0 (names with 20 or more bearers shown) · Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV), Finland, surname statistics, August 2026 — CC BY 4.0.
In print
Porter in American newspapers,
1882–1909.
Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 2,418,662 pages in all carry the name.
Who carried it
People named Porter,
with a public archive behind them.
-
William Field Porter 1784–1869 · politician -
Alexander Porter 1785–1844 · judge -
James Madison Porter 1793–1862 · judge -
John Scott Porter 1801–1880 · biblical scholar -
William Porter 1805–1880 · politician
Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons (CC0) · 191 lives in all are documented under this name.
Nearby in the index
Surnames next to Porter.
- Portas 171 · U.S. census
- Porte 744 · U.S. census
- Portela 1,330 · U.S. census
- Portella 349 · U.S. census
- Portelli 616 · U.S. census
- Portello 242 · U.S. census
- Porterie 122 · U.S. census
- Portes 686 · U.S. census
- Portie 182 · U.S. census
- Portier 733 · U.S. census
- Portillo 37,890 · U.S. census
- Portmann 341 · U.S. census
When the index is not enough
This page says where Porter is.
A volume says what happened to it.
Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.