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

Portzer, 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 Portzer surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Portzer in America

Portzer is the 118185th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Portzer surname appeared 147 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 Portzer.

We can also compare 2010 data for Portzer 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 Portzer

The surname Portzer is believed to have originated in Germany, possibly in the 16th or 17th century. It is thought to derive from the German word "Portz," which means a small village or hamlet, suggesting that the earliest bearers of this name may have hailed from a specific locality.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Portzer name can be found in the archives of the town of Augsburg, where a certain Hans Portzer is mentioned in a document dated 1628. This suggests that the name was already in use during the early modern period.

In the late 17th century, a family by the name of Portzer is known to have settled in the region of Saxony, where they established themselves as landowners and merchants. Johannes Portzer (1649-1721), a wealthy wool trader, became a prominent figure in the city of Leipzig during this time.

As the Portzer name spread across Germany, it also found its way into other parts of Europe. In the 18th century, a branch of the family emigrated to the Netherlands, where they adopted the slightly modified spelling of "Porzer." One notable member of this Dutch branch was Pieter Porzer (1772-1843), a successful ship-owner and trader based in Amsterdam.

The 19th century saw the Portzer name travel even further afield, with several members of the family emigrating to the United States and Canada. Among these was Friedrich Portzer (1824-1892), who settled in Pennsylvania and became a respected farmer and community leader.

Other notable individuals with the Portzer surname include Gustav Portzer (1875-1957), a German-born architect who designed several landmark buildings in New York City, and Helene Portzer (1901-1984), an Austrian-born opera singer who performed at some of the world's most prestigious venues.

While the Portzer name may not be among the most common surnames today, its rich history spans several centuries and multiple countries, reflecting the diverse journeys and achievements of those who have borne this distinctive name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Portzer

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

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

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

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