Porche
A French name derived from a type of church entrance or porch.
Name Census estimates that about 714 living Americans carry the first name Porche. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Porche today is around 37 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Porche births was 1989 (77 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Porche. 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.
People living today
714
~ 1 in 480,048 Americans
Peak year
1989
77 babies that year
Average age
37
years old
2002 SSA rank
#17,456
Tracked since 1977
Popularity
Porche: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Porche 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 348 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
Porche 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 Porche during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Porches live
The SSA's state-level files cover 10 states and territories. California, Illinois, Georgia recorded the most babies named Porche, while North Carolina, Alabama, Florida recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 23 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Porche
The given name Porche is believed to have originated from the French language, derived from the Old French word "porche," which means "porch" or "gateway." This name likely emerged during the medieval period in France, possibly inspired by architectural elements or locations associated with porches or gateways.
In its earliest known usage, the name Porche was more commonly found as a surname or family name in France, particularly in regions such as Normandy and Brittany. Over time, it gradually transitioned into being used as a given name, though its popularity has remained relatively obscure throughout history.
Records of individuals bearing the first name Porche are scarce in ancient texts or historical documents. However, there are a few notable figures from various time periods who carried this name:
1. Porche de Monbrun (c. 1550-1628), a French Huguenot military leader and Protestant nobleman during the French Wars of Religion.
2. Porche Pognon (1640-1706), a French playwright and poet active in the late 17th century, known for his satirical works and comedies.
3. Porche Delisle (1703-1768), a French cartographer and explorer who contributed significantly to the mapping of North America during the colonial era.
4. Porche Lamartine (1790-1869), a renowned French writer, poet, and statesman who played a prominent role in the French Romantic movement and served as a member of the Provisional Government during the Revolution of 1848.
5. Porche Duval (1865-1924), a French artist and painter associated with the Impressionist and Post-Impressionist movements, known for his landscapes and seascapes.
While the name Porche has maintained a presence throughout history, its usage as a given name has been relatively uncommon, particularly in recent times. It remains a unique and distinctive name rooted in French cultural and linguistic heritage, potentially carrying connotations of architecture, gateways, or entrances.
People
Porche + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Porche 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
Porche: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Porche?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 714 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Porche 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 480,048 US residents.
Is Porche a common name?
We classify Porche as "Very Rare". It ranks above 87.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 748 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Porche most popular?
The single biggest year for Porche was 1989, when 77 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Porche is about 37 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Porche a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Porche 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.
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.