Skip to content
  • Start free trial

Origins of the Porter surname

A collage of historical images including two family portraits and a postcard of people boarding a ship

What does the name Porter mean?

Porter is an English surname with Anglo-Norman roots. It is an occupational name, coming from the French 'porteur'. A porter would be the door-keeper, carrier or janitor of a castle or monastery (often a hereditary position). The name would be connected to an individual, but passed to their heirs and continued along their line.

Alternative variations of the name Porter

Porter, Portar, Poortar, Poreter, Poorter

“

I’ve managed to trace back to the mid-1500s! I can’t believe it! Utterly engrossing and I have uncovered some quite moving and heartbreaking stories attached to various ancestors. You don’t need any qualifications to start - just time patience, and some information.

SS
Stuart
TrustPilot review
1 of 3

Start your family tree

Trace your family back in time. Make new discoveries and see what other Findmypast family historians in our genealogy community have discovered about the Porters.

Sign up to get started

Delve deeper into the Porter family's history

Where do most Porters live?

In 1921, most Porters lived in London.


Census records trace your ancestors through each generation, so you can follow where your relatives lived through each decade.

Interesting facts about Porters

How common is your surname?

143rd most common surname in the UK

We have 225,000 records for the Porter surname. The oldest one dates back to 1241.

Who were Porters most likely to marry?

Smiths

&

Johnsons

Our Marriage record sets tell us which families married Porters.

What are the most common Porter first names?

  • John
  • William
  • Mary
  • Elizabeth

Our birth record sets tell us the names of Porter family members

Common jobs for Porters

Men and women often performed different types of jobs, so these are displayed by gender to maintain their historical accuracy.

Common Female occupations for Porters in 1921
Dressmaker

964

Domestic Servant

565

Cotton Weaver

545

Laundress

523

General Servant Domestic

460

Common Male occupations for Porters in 1921
Agricultural Labourer

987

General Labourer

835

Farmer

781

Farm Labourer

645

Coal Miner

618

An image of a census transcript and a picture of a dairy farmer holding two milk jugs

Census records provide incredible detail on names, ages, marital statuses, occupations and more.

We found over 290,000 family trees with the Porter surname

Trace your family back in time and see what other Findmypast family historians in our genealogy community have discovered about the Porters.

Search for a relative in our family trees

Share your discoveries

Find out more about your family in our records

or try an advanced search

Start your family history journey

Start free trial

Start free trial