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

Porten, 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 Porten surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Porten in America

Porten is the 71478th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Porten surname appeared 273 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 Porten.

We can also compare 2010 data for Porten 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 Porten

The surname PORTEN originates from Germany, where it first emerged in the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the German word "Pforte," which means "gate" or "entrance." This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone who lived near a town gate or worked as a gatekeeper.

In its early days, the name was commonly spelled as "Pforte" or "Pforter" before evolving into the more modern spelling of "PORTEN." The first recorded instances of the name can be found in historical records from the regions of Bavaria and Saxony, indicating that these areas were likely the initial birthplaces of the surname.

One of the earliest known bearers of the PORTEN name was Hans Porten, a merchant who lived in the city of Nuremberg during the late 16th century. His name appears in several business records from that time period, providing insight into the early prominence of the surname.

In the 17th century, the PORTEN name gained further recognition with the rise of Johann Porten, a renowned German philosopher and theologian born in 1637. His works, which explored themes of ethics and morality, were widely influential during the Age of Enlightenment.

Another notable figure was Karl Porten, a German military officer who served in the Prussian Army during the Napoleonic Wars. Born in 1777, he was known for his bravery and leadership on the battlefield, ultimately rising to the rank of General.

During the 19th century, the PORTEN surname continued to spread across various regions of Germany. One prominent individual was Otto Porten, a renowned architect born in 1840 in Berlin. He was responsible for designing several iconic buildings, including the Reichstag building and the Berlin Cathedral.

Lastly, in the early 20th century, the name gained international recognition through the work of Richard Porten, a German-American biblical scholar and translator. Born in 1886, he made significant contributions to the study of ancient Hebrew and Aramaic texts, publishing numerous works on the subject.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Porten

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

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

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

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