The Porterfield surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 6,780 people carried this name — #5,160 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 43,500 people counted. That is up 3% from 6,611 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Porterfield surname

From porter + field, a Scottish topographic surname from the hereditary lands owned by a porter.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Porterfield» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

In print

Porterfield in American newspapers,
1891–1911.

Newspaper page from The Port Gibson Reveille carrying the name Porterfield
The Port Gibson Reveille 1891-08-19
Newspaper page from The Enterprise carrying the name Porterfield
The Enterprise 1911-02-16
Newspaper page from The Semi-weekly Leader carrying the name Porterfield
The Semi-weekly Leader 1911-02-18

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 31,825 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Porterfield in Australian newspapers,
1880s–1950s.

130 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Porterfield. The most, 37, date from the 1920s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in New South Wales, at 2.0 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 86
Victoria 16
Queensland 11
South Australia 11
Western Australia 3
Tasmania 2
ACT (Canberra) 1

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Porterfield.

Who carried it

People named Porterfield,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Jean Porterfield d. 1830
  • Helen Porterfield d. 1573
  • Jean Porterfield d. 1658
  • John Porterfield 1501– · priest
  • William Porterfield of that Ilk and Duchal 1540–1620
  • Marion Porterfield 1563–

Wikidata (CC0) · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Porterfield,
in the records of 5 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States418 records

418 records of the Porterfield name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 260
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 83
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 32
  • U.S. alien registration index, 1940–1955 17
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 14
  • New York State death index (outside NYC), 1957–2001 6
  • U.S. service members who died in the Vietnam War 3
  • U.S. service members who died in the Korean War 2
  • Irish Famine arrivals at New York, 1846–1851 1
  1. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Dale Kyette Porterfield

    Born 1952; from Los Angeles, California. U.S. Army, indirect fire infantryman; killed in action 1972 in Quang Tri, South Vietnam. Buried at Los Angeles National Cemetery, California.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Frank T. Porterfield

    Born 1912 in New York. Enlisted 1941 at Jamaica; printing worker from Kings County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1970, buried at Long Island National Cemetery, New York.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record George Porterfield

    Arrived at New York in 1885 aboard the Furnessia from Glasgow, aged 27; miner. From Glasgow, Scotland; bound for New York.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 418 records for Porterfield in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Canada21 records

21 records of the Porterfield name in Canada
  • City of Calgary cemetery records 9
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 6
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 3
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 2
  • City of Winnipeg cemetery records 1
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record James Arnold Porterfield

    Buried in 1994 at Union Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 89.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  2. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record Wilbert Andrew Porterfield

    Died in service in 1944.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Civil record William Porterfield

    Listed at Savel River, Queens, Nova Scotia in the census and tax rolls of 1787.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.

Showing 3 of 21 records for Porterfield in Canada.

Counts: City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

Australia15 records

15 records of the Porterfield name in Australia
  • Tasmanian Names Index 7
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 6
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 2
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record James Porterfield

    Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1844. Married 1845 in Launceston, Tasmania, aged 27.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Eliza J. Porterfield

    Arrived in Victoria in 1890 aboard the Oroya, aged 32.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record James Porterfield

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the John Barry, sailing from London in 1834. Native of Renfrew, Renfrewshire.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 15 records for Porterfield in Australia.

Counts: Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain).

New Zealand5 records

5 records of the Porterfield name in New Zealand Christchurch City cemetery records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Thomas John Porterfield

    Died 1981, aged 78; buried at Waimairi Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Matilda Porterfield

    Died 1941; buried at Waimairi Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Kathleen May Porterfield

    Died 1980, aged 78; buried at Waimairi Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 5 records for Porterfield in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

United Kingdom3 records

3 records of the Porterfield name in the United Kingdom
  • Stirling Council burial records 2
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Catherine McFarlane Porterfield

    Died 1959, aged 73; buried at Kippen Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland.

    Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record G. A. Porterfield

    Lieutenant. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record George William Porterfield

    Died 1935, aged 60; buried at Kippen Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland.

    Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Counts: Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Porterfield.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Porterfield 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.

See the Porterfield volume
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