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

Porath, 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 Porath surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Porath in America

Porath is the 19097th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Porath surname appeared 1,425 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 Porath.

We can also compare 2010 data for Porath 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 Porath

The surname Porath is of German origin, and it is believed to have emerged during the medieval period in the regions of modern-day Germany and Austria. The name is thought to be derived from the German word "Porra," which means "leek" or "green onion." This suggests that the name may have initially been a descriptive nickname given to someone who grew or traded in leeks or green onions.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Porath dates back to the 14th century, where it appears in a historical document from the city of Nuremberg. In this document, a certain Hans Porath is mentioned as a landowner and farmer in the surrounding rural areas.

The Porath surname can also be found in various historical records from the 16th and 17th centuries, particularly in regions such as Saxony, Bavaria, and Silesia. During this period, the name was often spelled differently, with variations like "Porrath," "Poratt," and "Porat" being quite common.

Notable individuals who bore the surname Porath throughout history include Johann Porath, a German composer and organist who lived in the late 17th century and was known for his compositions for the church and the organ. Another prominent figure was Wilhelm Porath, a German novelist and playwright born in 1817, whose works often explored themes of social injustice and the plight of the working class.

In the 19th century, a man named Friedrich Porath, born in 1832, gained recognition as a successful entrepreneur and industrialist in the city of Berlin. He founded a company that manufactured machinery and equipment for the growing textile industry in Germany.

Another individual of note was Margarete Porath, a German-born artist and painter who lived from 1891 to 1967. She was known for her vibrant landscapes and still-life paintings, which were heavily influenced by the Impressionist movement.

Finally, one of the more recent notable individuals with the surname Porath was Hans-Joachim Porath, a German politician and member of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party, who served as a member of the Bundestag (the German federal parliament) from 1969 to 1987.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Porath

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

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 Porath 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 Porath 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 Porath was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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