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

Portenier, 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 Portenier surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Portenier in America

Portenier is the 76029th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Portenier surname appeared 253 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 Portenier.

We can also compare 2010 data for Portenier 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 Portenier

The surname Portenier has its origins in France, originating in the 15th century. It is derived from the Old French word "portenir," meaning "doorkeeper" or "gatekeeper." This occupational surname suggests that the family's earliest ancestors were employed as gatekeepers, likely guarding a town or castle entrance.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Portenier name can be found in the archives of the city of Lille, located in northern France, where a certain Jean Portenier is mentioned as a resident in 1467. The name also appears in various historical records from neighboring regions, such as Picardy and Normandy, with variations in spelling like "Portener" and "Portenier."

In the 16th century, the Portenier family gained prominence in the Duchy of Lorraine, a region that is now part of modern-day France and Germany. The Portenie family of Lorraine, a branch of the Portenier lineage, produced several notable figures, including Nicolas Portenie (1548-1618), a renowned jurist and magistrate who served as the president of the parliament of Metz.

As the Portenier name spread across Europe, it also took root in other regions, such as Switzerland and Germany. In Switzerland, the earliest recorded instance of the name dates back to the 17th century, when a Heinrich Portenier is mentioned in the records of the city of Basel in 1682.

One of the most famous individuals bearing the Portenier surname was Jean-Baptiste Portenier (1723-1793), a Swiss-born architect and engineer who gained recognition for his work in France. He was responsible for designing several notable buildings in Paris, including the Hôtel des Monnaies (Mint) and the Église Saint-Roch.

Another notable figure was Henri Portenier (1864-1931), a Belgian painter and illustrator known for his Orientalist works depicting scenes from North Africa and the Middle East. His paintings are held in collections at the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium and the Musée d'Orsay in Paris.

In the 20th century, the Portenier name gained further recognition with individuals like Georges Portenier (1892-1982), a Swiss politician and lawyer who served as the President of the National Council of Switzerland from 1963 to 1964.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Portenier

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

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

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

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