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

Portas, 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 Portas surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Portas in America

Portas is the 104602nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Portas surname appeared 171 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 Portas.

We can also compare 2010 data for Portas 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 Portas

The surname Portas is of Portuguese origin, with roots dating back to the 14th century. It is believed to have derived from the Portuguese word "porta," meaning "door" or "gate." The name was likely given to someone who lived near a prominent gate or entrance of a town or village.

In the early days, the surname was spelled in various forms, such as Portas, Portes, and Portis. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the 1385 manuscript "Livro de Linhagens," which chronicles the genealogy of Portuguese noble families.

The Portas family played a significant role in the history of Portugal, with several notable individuals bearing the name. One such figure was João Portas, a 15th-century explorer who accompanied Vasco da Gama on his famous voyage to India in 1498.

Another prominent Portas was Rodrigo Portas, a 16th-century architect who designed several notable buildings in Lisbon, including the Church of São Roque, which is considered a masterpiece of Mannerist architecture.

In the 17th century, the Portas family established themselves in the Azores, an archipelago located in the Atlantic Ocean. One of the most famous members of the family from this period was Manuel Portas, a merchant and ship owner who played a crucial role in the development of the Azorean economy.

Moving forward to the 19th century, António Portas was a renowned Portuguese poet and journalist who advocated for social reform and workers' rights. His works, such as "O Operário," shed light on the struggles of the working class during the Industrial Revolution.

In more recent history, Paulo Portas, a politician and former Minister of Defense, was a prominent figure in Portuguese politics. He served as the leader of the conservative Democratic and Social Center – People's Party (CDS-PP) from 1998 to 2022.

While the surname Portas has its roots in Portugal, it has since spread to other parts of the world through immigration and diaspora. The name can now be found in countries such as Brazil, the United States, and Canada, among others.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Portas

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

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

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

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