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

Portero, 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 Portero surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Portero in America

Portero is the 128249th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Portero surname appeared 133 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 Portero.

The history of the last name Portero

The surname Portero originates from Spain, where it first emerged in the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Spanish word "portero," meaning "doorkeeper" or "gatekeeper." This occupation-based surname was likely given to individuals who worked as gatekeepers or doormen, often in important buildings or estates.

One of the earliest known references to the Portero surname can be found in the Libro de la Montería, a 14th-century manuscript detailing hunting expeditions in Spain. The document mentions a person named Pedro Portero, who accompanied King Alfonso XI on a hunting trip in the region of Andalusia.

During the 15th century, as Spanish explorers and conquistadors ventured into the Americas, the Portero name spread to the New World. Some notable individuals with this surname include Juan Portero, a soldier who participated in the conquest of Mexico under Hernán Cortés in the early 16th century.

In the 17th century, the Portero surname appeared in various historical records across Spain. For instance, Baltasar Portero was a prominent painter from Madrid, known for his religious works and portraits of nobility.

As the Portero family expanded throughout Spain and its colonies, various spelling variations emerged, such as Porteros, Porterro, and Porteiro. Additionally, the surname was sometimes combined with place names, creating compound surnames like Portero de Cádiz or Portero de Sevilla.

One of the most famous individuals with the Portero surname was José María Portero, a Spanish military officer and politician who lived from 1788 to 1865. He played a significant role in the Peninsular War against French occupation and later served as the Prime Minister of Spain.

Another notable figure was Tomás Portero y Gallego, a 19th-century Spanish architect responsible for designing several iconic buildings in Madrid, including the Palacio de Comunicaciones and the Ministerio de Fomento.

In the 20th century, Ramón Portero Maseda (1890-1972) gained recognition as a prominent Spanish sculptor, known for his monumental works and public sculptures adorning cities across Spain.

The Portero surname continues to be prevalent in Spain and various Spanish-speaking countries, with individuals bearing this name contributing to various fields throughout history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Portero

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

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 Portero 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.

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

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

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