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

Portela, 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 Portela surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Portela in America

Portela is the 20088th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Portela surname appeared 1,330 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 Portela.

We can also compare 2010 data for Portela 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 Portela

The surname Portela is of Portuguese origin. It is believed to have derived from the Latin word "portella", meaning a small door or gate. The name is thought to have originated in the 12th century in the northern regions of Portugal, particularly in the areas surrounding Porto and Braga.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Portela surname can be found in the "Livro Velho de Linhagens", a Portuguese genealogical record dating back to the 13th century. This document references a nobleman named Gonçalo Portela, who was active during the reign of King Afonso II (1211-1223).

The surname Portela is closely associated with the town of Portela das Cabras, located in the district of Aveiro. It is believed that the town's name, which translates to "Gate of the Goats", may have influenced the surname's origins.

In the 15th century, a notable figure bearing the Portela surname was João Portela, a navigator and explorer who participated in the discovery of the Cape Verde Islands. He was born in Lisbon around 1420 and played a significant role in Portugal's maritime explorations during the Age of Discovery.

Another prominent individual with the Portela surname was Rodrigo Portela, a 16th-century Portuguese historian and writer. He authored several works, including "Cronica da Companhia de Jesus na Provincia de Portugal", a chronicle of the Jesuit Order in Portugal.

During the 17th century, António Portela was a renowned Portuguese architect who designed several churches and monasteries in the Baroque style. His most notable work is the Church of São Roque in Lisbon, completed in 1619.

In more recent history, Francisco Portela was a prominent Brazilian politician and lawyer who served as the Governor of the Federal District (now Brasilia) from 1935 to 1937. He played a crucial role in the construction and development of the new capital city.

Throughout its history, the Portela surname has been closely associated with Portugal and its territories, reflecting the country's rich cultural heritage and contributions to exploration, literature, architecture, and politics.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Portela

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

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

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

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