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

Porges, 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 Porges surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Porges in America

Porges is the 53316th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Porges surname appeared 388 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 Porges.

We can also compare 2010 data for Porges 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 Porges

The surname Porges has its origins in the Czech Republic, dating back to the 14th century. It is believed to be derived from the Czech word "porka," which means "sow" or "pig," potentially indicating that the family's ancestors were involved in pig farming or lived near an area where pigs were raised.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Porges can be found in the 1379 tax records of Prague, where a certain Wenceslaus Porges is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already established in the region by that time.

In the 15th century, the name appeared in various legal documents and records in the towns of Pilsen and Budweis, both located in the western part of the Czech Republic. During this period, spellings such as "Porgess" and "Porgehess" were also common.

The Porges family appears to have had a presence in the town of Kutná Hora, a historic silver mining center in Bohemia, during the 16th century. A notable figure from this era was Joachim Porges (1499-1567), a prominent merchant and financier who played a significant role in the local economy.

As the family spread throughout the region, variations in spelling emerged, including "Porgess," "Porches," and "Porge." In the 17th century, a branch of the family settled in the city of Prague, where they became influential members of the Jewish community.

One of the most renowned individuals with the surname Porges was Moses Porges (1768-1841), a respected rabbi and scholar who served as the Chief Rabbi of Prague from 1819 until his death. He was widely known for his expertise in Jewish law and made significant contributions to the study of the Talmud.

Another notable figure was Nahum Porges (1832-1909), a Czech-German writer and journalist who was actively involved in the Zionist movement and advocated for the establishment of a Jewish homeland in Palestine.

In the 19th century, the Porges family also had a presence in Austria, with members such as Heinrich Porges (1837-1900), a prominent Austrian lawyer and politician who served as a member of the Reichsrat (Imperial Council) in Vienna.

Throughout its history, the Porges surname has been associated with various professions, including merchants, financiers, rabbis, scholars, and political figures, reflecting the diverse contributions of this family to the cultural and economic fabric of Central Europe.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Porges

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

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

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

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