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

Portley, 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 Portley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Portley in America

Portley is the 60960th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Portley surname appeared 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 Portley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Portley 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 Portley

The surname Portley has its origins in England, dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from a Norman French place name, possibly related to the Old English words "port" meaning a harbor or town, and "ley" meaning a meadow or clearing. This suggests that the name may have originated from a location near a port or harbor town.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, where a John de Porteley is mentioned. The name also appears in the Subsidy Rolls for Essex in 1327, with a reference to a Richard Portley.

During the 14th century, the surname Portley was predominantly concentrated in the counties of Essex, Suffolk, and Norfolk, which were coastal regions with numerous ports and harbors. This lends further credence to the theory that the name originated from a place name associated with a port or harbor town.

In the 16th century, a notable individual bearing the Portley surname was Sir John Portley (c. 1520 - 1590), a wealthy merchant and landowner from Essex. He served as a Member of Parliament for Colchester in 1555 and played a significant role in local affairs.

Another prominent figure was Sir Roger Portley (1599 - 1672), a barrister and judge who served as the Chief Baron of the Exchequer from 1665 until his death. He was born in Oakham, Rutland, and his family had connections to the county of Norfolk.

During the 17th century, the name appears in various parish records across eastern England, including those of Sudbury in Suffolk, where a William Portley is recorded as having been baptized in 1634.

In the 19th century, a notable individual was Richard Portley (1808 - 1883), a businessman and philanthropist from Liverpool. He made his fortune in the cotton trade and was a significant benefactor to educational institutions in the city.

Another individual of note was Sir Francis Portley (1845 - 1923), a lawyer and politician who served as the Solicitor General for England and Wales from 1900 to 1905. He was born in London and had family roots in Norfolk.

Overall, the surname Portley has a long and rich history, with its origins firmly rooted in eastern England and a strong association with coastal regions and port towns.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Portley

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

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

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

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