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

Portteus, 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 Portteus surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Portteus in America

Portteus is the 158432nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Portteus surname appeared 102 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 Portteus.

The history of the last name Portteus

The surname PORTTEUS has its origins in Scotland, dating back to the 16th century. It is derived from the Scottish territorial name 'Porteous', which itself is derived from the Old French word 'portier', meaning a gatekeeper or doorkeeper. This name was likely given to someone who held the position of gatekeeper in a town or castle.

PORTTEUS is believed to have first appeared in records in the Scottish Lowlands, particularly in the areas around Edinburgh and the Borders region. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the 1567 Edinburgh Parish Records, where a man named John Porteous is mentioned.

In the 17th century, the name PORTTEUS appeared in several historical documents, including the Dunfermline Register of 1642, which lists a William Portteus. The name is also found in the Canongate Parish Register of 1685, where a James Portteus is recorded.

One notable figure in history with the surname PORTTEUS was Captain John Portteus (c. 1695-1736), a soldier in the British Army who was hanged in Edinburgh for his role in the Porteous Riots of 1736. The riots were sparked by the controversial execution of a smuggler, and Portteus was blamed for ordering his troops to fire on the crowd, resulting in several deaths.

Another prominent individual with this surname was Robert Portteus (1771-1808), a Scottish poet and author who wrote several works, including "The Purgatory of Suicides" and "The Grave, A Poem". He was born in Peterhead and is considered one of the significant writers of the Scottish Enlightenment period.

In the 19th century, Sir William Portteus (1829-1898) was a Scottish businessman and philanthropist who made his fortune in the textile industry. He was born in Falkirk and was knighted in 1887 for his contributions to the local community.

The PORTTEUS surname has also been found in various place names and older spellings of place names, such as Porteus House, a historic building in Edinburgh, and the village of Porteous in Dumfriesshire, which likely took its name from the surname.

While the PORTTEUS name has its roots in Scotland, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through Scottish emigration. However, the earliest and most significant historical references to this surname can be traced back to its Scottish origins in the 16th and 17th centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Portteus

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

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

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

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