2000
#119,644
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 134
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Portnoff
A surname derived from a location in Russia or elsewhere in Eastern Europe.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 147 Americans carry the last name Portnoff. That puts it at #136,082 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,331,662 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Portnoff surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
147
1 in 2,331,662
Census rank
#136,082
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
128
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 128 bearers of the surname Portnoff in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 136082nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Portnoff, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Portnoff
The surname PORTNOFF has its origins in Eastern Europe, specifically in the region of Russia. It is believed to have emerged in the late 18th or early 19th century, derived from the Russian word "portnoy," meaning a tailor or a clothes maker.
This occupational surname suggests that the original bearers of the name were likely involved in the tailoring trade or the clothing industry. The addition of the suffix "-off" is a common Russian patronymic, indicating that the name may have initially referred to the son of a tailor.
Early records of the PORTNOFF surname can be found in various Russian archives and census records from the 19th century. While it is not a particularly widespread name, it has been documented in several regions of the Russian Empire, including Moscow, St. Petersburg, and other urban centers.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the PORTNOFF surname was Ivan Portnoff, a tailor born in Moscow in 1810. His son, Mikhail Portnoff (1842-1911), was a respected merchant and philanthropist in St. Petersburg.
Another notable figure was Nikolai Portnoff (1876-1935), a Russian-born artist and painter who emigrated to Paris in the early 20th century and became part of the vibrant artistic community there.
During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, many Russians bearing the PORTNOFF surname immigrated to other parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, and Latin America, often fleeing political upheaval or seeking economic opportunities.
One such immigrant was Fyodor Portnoff (1885-1962), who arrived in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in the early 1900s and established a successful tailoring business that catered to the city's affluent clientele.
Another notable figure was Yelena Portnoff (1901-1985), a Russian-born dancer and choreographer who achieved fame in the United States during the mid-20th century for her contributions to modern dance.
While not a common surname globally, the PORTNOFF name has a rich history rooted in the Russian tradition of occupational surnames and the tailoring trade. Its bearers have made significant contributions in various fields, from the arts and business to philanthropic endeavors.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Portnoff
Among Census respondents with the surname Portnoff, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Portnoff bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Portnoff surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.0% · 119
- Two or more races3.9% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.6% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino0.8% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Portnoff
Portnoff appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#130,610
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 130
-4 bearers (-3.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,966 places
2020
#136,082
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 128
-2 bearers (-1.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,472 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #119,644 | 134 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #130,610 | 130 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.0%) | Down 10,966 places |
| 2020 | #136,082 | 128 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.5%) | Down 5,472 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Portnoff surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #130,610 | #136,082 | -4.2% |
| Count | 130 | 128 | -1.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 7.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Portnoff bearers went from 130 to 128 (-1.5% change). The surname moved down 5,472 positions in the national ranking, going from #130,610 to #136,082.
FAQ
Portnoff surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Portnoff?
Name Census estimates that about 147 living Americans carry the surname Portnoff. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,331,662 residents.
How common is Portnoff?
Portnoff ranks #136,082 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 128 people with the surname Portnoff. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (147), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Portnoff.
Has Portnoff become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Portnoff went from 130 recorded bearers to 128. That is a decrease of 2 (-1.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #130,610 to #136,082.
What does the Census say about the background of Portnoff?
Among Census respondents with the surname Portnoff, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.6%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Portnoff in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.0% (119 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Portnoff appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.0%), Two or More Races (3.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.6%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Portnoff (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Portnoff mean?
A surname derived from a location in Russia or elsewhere in Eastern Europe. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Portnoff (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Portnoff?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.