2000
#132,259
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Porchea
A toponymic surname indicating familial origin from a place called Porchea.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Porchea. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Porchea surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Porchea in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Porchea, the largest self-reported group is Black at 84.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.5%) and Hispanic (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Porchea
The surname Porchea is of Italian origin, with its roots tracing back to the regions of Sicily and Calabria in southern Italy during the Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the Italian word "porco," which means "pig" or "swine," indicating that the earliest bearers of this name may have been associated with the raising or trading of these animals.
One of the earliest known references to the Porchea name can be found in the historical records of the town of Reggio Calabria, where a family by the name of Porchea is mentioned in a document dated back to the 14th century. This document suggests that the Porchea family held a prominent position within the local community at that time.
In the 15th century, a notable individual named Giovanni Porchea (c. 1420 - 1489) was recorded as a respected scholar and theologian from the city of Palermo in Sicily. His scholarly works on religious and philosophical subjects were widely circulated during his lifetime and contributed to the intellectual discourse of that era.
Another prominent figure bearing the Porchea surname was Francesco Porchea (1572 - 1633), a renowned architect and engineer from Messina, Sicily. He is best known for his contributions to the design and construction of several notable churches and public buildings in and around Messina, many of which still stand today as testament to his architectural prowess.
In the 18th century, a man named Vincenzo Porchea (1712 - 1782) gained recognition as a skilled artist and painter from the town of Reggio Calabria. His works, primarily depicting religious scenes and landscapes, were highly regarded by patrons and collectors throughout southern Italy.
The Porchea name also has connections to various place names and localities within Italy. For instance, there is a small village called Porcheano located in the province of Reggio Calabria, which may have derived its name from the Porchea family or vice versa. Additionally, there are records of a historical estate known as the "Tenuta Porchea" in the vicinity of Palermo, Sicily, which was once owned by a prominent branch of the Porchea family.
Throughout its long history, the Porchea surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including scholars, artists, architects, and landowners, among others. While the name may have originated from humble beginnings related to the raising of pigs, it has evolved to become a respected and well-established surname within Italian society.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Porchea
Among Census respondents with the surname Porchea, the largest self-reported group is Black at 84.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.5%) and Hispanic (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Porchea bearers 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 surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Porchea surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American84.1% · 90
- Two or more races6.5% · 7
- Hispanic or Latino4.7% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.8% · 3
- White1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Porchea
Porchea appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#130,610
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 130
+12 bearers (+10.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 1,649 places
2020
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
-23 bearers (-17.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 21,029 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #132,259 | 118 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #130,610 | 130 | 0.04 | +12 bearers (+10.2%) | Up 1,649 places |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | -23 bearers (-17.7%) | Down 21,029 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Porchea surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #130,610 | #151,639 | -16.1% |
| Count | 130 | 107 | -17.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Porchea bearers went from 130 to 107 (-17.7% change). The surname moved down 21,029 positions in the national ranking, going from #130,610 to #151,639.
FAQ
Porchea surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Porchea?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Porchea. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Porchea?
Porchea ranks #151,639 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 107 people with the surname Porchea. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Porchea.
Has Porchea become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Porchea went from 130 recorded bearers to 107. That is a decrease of 23 (-17.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #130,610 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Porchea?
Among Census respondents with the surname Porchea, the largest self-reported group is Black at 84.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.5%) and Hispanic (4.7%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Porchea in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.1% (90 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Porchea appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (84.1%), Two or More Races (6.5%), Hispanic (4.7%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Porchea (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Porchea mean?
A toponymic surname indicating familial origin from a place called Porchea. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Porchea (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Porchea?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.