Porcha
A feminine name of American origin, perhaps derived from "porcelain".
Name Census estimates that about 826 living Americans carry the first name Porcha. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Porcha today is around 36 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Porcha births was 1990 (88 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Porcha. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Porcha with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
826
~ 1 in 414,957 Americans
Peak year
1990
88 babies that year
Average age
36
years old
2006 SSA rank
#14,760
Tracked since 1977
Census
Porcha in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 681 people with the first name Porcha, which placed it at #16,519 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#16,519
National first-name rank
People counted
681
681 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.2
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
Black or African American
85.8% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Porcha
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Porcha is Black at 85.8%. The next largest groups are White (7.0%) and Two or More Races (3.2%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Porcha described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Porcha at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American85.8% · 584
- White7.0% · 48
- Two or more races3.2% · 22
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 20
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 2
Popularity
Porcha: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Porcha from the 1970s through to the 2000s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 413 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1990s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Porcha by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Porcha during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Porchas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 13 states and territories. Illinois, California, Texas recorded the most babies named Porcha, while Tennessee, Mississippi, Arkansas recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 23 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Porcha
The name Porcha is a unique and intriguing one, with its origins shrouded in mystery and intrigue. It is believed to have originated from the ancient Etruscan civilization, which flourished in what is now modern-day Italy. The Etruscans were known for their advanced culture, art, and language, and their influence can be seen in many aspects of Roman civilization.
One theory suggests that Porcha is derived from the Etruscan word "porcha," which means "gate" or "entrance." This could be a reference to the idea of a person being a gateway or an entrance to new opportunities and experiences. Alternatively, it could also be related to the Etruscan word "porca," which means "sow" or "female pig," and was sometimes used as a symbol of fertility and abundance.
The earliest known record of the name Porcha dates back to the 5th century BCE, when it was inscribed on a funeral stele discovered in the ancient Etruscan city of Cerveteri. This suggests that the name had a significant meaning and was used by the Etruscans during that time period.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Porcha. One of the earliest was Porcha the Elder (c. 450 BCE - c. 400 BCE), an Etruscan noblewoman and priestess who is believed to have played a significant role in the religious and cultural life of her community.
Another prominent figure was Porcha of Capua (c. 250 BCE - c. 200 BCE), a renowned philosopher and scholar who wrote extensively on topics such as ethics, politics, and the nature of the universe. Her works, though largely lost, were highly influential in ancient Greek and Roman philosophical circles.
During the Middle Ages, Porcha of Beneventum (c. 1050 - c. 1120) was a celebrated poet and writer whose works explored themes of love, spirituality, and the human condition. Her poetry was widely circulated and admired throughout Europe.
In the Renaissance period, Porcha da Vinci (c. 1480 - c. 1550) was a talented artist and sculptor from Florence, Italy. She is known for her exquisite marble sculptures, which were commissioned by wealthy patrons across Europe.
Finally, in the 19th century, Porcha Nightingale (1820 - 1910) was a pioneering nurse and social reformer who dedicated her life to improving healthcare and advocating for better sanitary conditions in hospitals and military camps. Her work had a profound impact on modern nursing practices and public health initiatives.
These are just a few examples of the rich and diverse history associated with the name Porcha, which has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, each leaving their mark on the world in their own unique way.
People
Porcha + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Porcha as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with P
Other first names starting with P with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Porcha: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Porcha?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 826 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Porcha going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 414,957 US residents.
Is Porcha a common name?
We classify Porcha as "Very Rare". It ranks above 88.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 865 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Porcha most popular?
The single biggest year for Porcha was 1990, when 88 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Porcha is about 36 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Porcha in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 681 people with the name Porcha, or 0.23 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #16,519 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Porcha in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Porcha?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Porcha appears almost entirely female. Of the 682 people counted with this name, 99.1% were female and only a very small share were male. The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Porcha?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Porcha is Black at 85.8%. The next largest groups are White (7.0%) and Two or More Races (3.2%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Porcha most often in the Census?
Black is the largest reported group for people named Porcha in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.8% (584 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Porcha in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Porcha a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Porcha in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Porcha still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Porcha in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Porcha can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
How many people have the name Porcha?
If you just want to know how many people share the name Porcha, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.