Find out how popular the last name Por is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Por.

Por, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Por surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Por in America

Por is the 56310th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Por surname appeared 363 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Por.

We can also compare 2010 data for Por to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Por

The surname POR has its origins in Portugal, dating back to the late medieval period around the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Latin word "portus," meaning "port" or "harbor," suggesting that the name may have been given to individuals who lived near or worked at a port or coastal area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the POR surname can be found in the Livro Velho das Linhagens (Old Book of Lineages), a Portuguese genealogical record from the 13th century. This document mentions individuals with the surname POR, indicating that the name was already established in Portugal during that time.

The POR surname also appears in several historical records from the 14th and 15th centuries, such as the Chancelaria Régia (Royal Chancery) and the Livro da Nobreza (Book of Nobility). These records provide insights into the geographic distribution of the name, with the POR family being prominent in various regions, including Lisbon, Porto, and the Algarve.

During the Age of Discovery, the POR surname gained further prominence as Portuguese explorers and navigators ventured across the globe. One notable figure was João Fernandes Por, a navigator and cartographer who participated in the voyages of Vasco da Gama and Pedro Álvares Cabral in the late 15th and early 16th centuries.

Another famous individual with the POR surname was Fernão da Por, a Portuguese explorer and navigator who accompanied Ferdinand Magellan on the first circumnavigation of the globe in the early 16th century. He played a crucial role in the expedition and is credited with discovering the Strait of Magellan.

In the 17th century, the POR surname can be found in various historical documents from Portugal and its colonies, including Brazil. One notable figure from this period was João Fernandes Por, a Portuguese colonist and landowner in Brazil, who played a significant role in the development of the sugar industry in the region.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, the POR surname continued to be prevalent in Portugal and its territories, with individuals bearing this name contributing to various fields, including politics, literature, and the arts. One notable figure was José Maria da Por, a Portuguese writer and journalist who lived in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

While the POR surname originated in Portugal, it has since spread to other parts of the world through immigration and cultural exchange. Today, individuals with the POR surname can be found in various countries, carrying on the legacy of this historic Portuguese name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Por

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Por.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Por was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Por has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Por was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Por, please contact us.

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