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

Porfirio, 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 Porfirio surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Porfirio in America

Porfirio is the 44808th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Porfirio surname appeared 479 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 Porfirio.

We can also compare 2010 data for Porfirio 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 Porfirio

The surname Porfirio is of Spanish origin, derived from the Latin name Porphyrius, meaning "purple-dyed." This name was initially associated with the ancient trade of dyeing fabrics with the highly prized Tyrian purple dye, extracted from certain mollusk species.

The earliest known instances of the surname Porfirio can be traced back to medieval Spain, particularly in regions like Andalusia and Castile. The name's roots stretch back to the Roman era, when the dyeing industry played a crucial role in the economy and culture of the Iberian Peninsula.

Historical records indicate that the Porfirio surname appeared in various municipal archives and documents from the 13th century onwards. One notable mention is found in the "Libro de las Behetrías" (Book of Jurisdictions) from the mid-14th century, which recorded landowners and their holdings during the reign of King Pedro I of Castile.

In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the surname Porfirio was Juan Porfirio de Salinas (1530-1597), a Spanish jurist and scholar who served as a legal advisor to King Philip II. His treatises on Spanish law were highly influential during the Golden Age of Spain.

Another prominent individual was Porfirio Díaz (1830-1915), a Mexican general and politician who served as the President of Mexico from 1876 to 1911. His long tenure, known as the Porfiriato, brought economic progress and stability to Mexico, albeit through authoritarian means.

In the realm of literature, the Chilean novelist and poet José Porfirio Barcia-Bavio (1894-1943) gained recognition for his works that explored social and political themes, including the novel "Satanás" (Satan) and the poetry collection "La tierra prometida" (The Promised Land).

The surname Porfirio also has connections to various places, such as the town of Porfirio in the Mexican state of Jalisco, and the Porfirio Díaz municipality in the Mexican state of Hidalgo, both named after the former president.

Throughout history, the Porfirio surname has been associated with individuals from diverse backgrounds, spanning fields like law, politics, literature, and more, reflecting the rich cultural heritage and diverse narratives woven into this name's legacy.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Porfirio

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

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

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

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