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

Porte, 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 Porte surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Porte in America

Porte is the 31184th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Porte surname appeared 744 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 Porte.

We can also compare 2010 data for Porte 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 Porte

The surname PORTE originates from France, with its earliest recorded usage dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old French word "porte," meaning "door" or "gate," suggesting that the name may have been associated with individuals who lived near or were responsible for guarding a gate or entrance to a town or fortified area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book, the great survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The entry "Radulfus de la Porte" is listed, referring to a landholder in the county of Somerset.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as "de la Porte," "de Porte," and "Portes," reflecting the variations in spelling common during that era. One notable bearer was Pierre de la Porte, a French nobleman and soldier who participated in the Seventh Crusade in the mid-13th century.

During the 14th and 15th centuries, the name gained prominence in various regions of France, particularly in the northern and central areas. Notable individuals included Jean de la Porte (c. 1380-1452), a French merchant and diplomat who served as a royal ambassador under Charles VII, and Guillaume de la Porte (c. 1460-1531), a renowned architect who contributed to the construction of several notable buildings in Paris.

As the name spread across Europe, it underwent further variations in spelling and pronunciation. In England, the name was sometimes anglicized to "Porter," while in Italy it took the form "Porta." One prominent Italian bearer was Giambattista della Porta (1535-1615), a renowned scholar, playwright, and polymath from Naples.

In the 17th century, the name PORTE gained prominence in the Netherlands, with individuals such as Dirck Porte (1605-1675), a Dutch Golden Age painter known for his landscapes and maritime scenes. In the same period, Jean de la Porte (1614-1679) was a French Jesuit missionary who traveled to Canada and worked among the indigenous populations.

Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, the PORTE surname continued to be found across various regions of Europe and beyond. Notable bearers included Arnaud Porte (1744-1818), a French military officer who served during the French Revolutionary Wars, and Sir John Porte (1773-1847), a British naval officer and colonial administrator who served as the Governor of Bermuda.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Porte

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

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

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

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