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

Purtell, 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 Purtell surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Purtell in America

Purtell is the 16238th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Purtell surname appeared 1,778 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Purtell.

We can also compare 2010 data for Purtell 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 Purtell

The surname Purtell has its origins in Ireland, with roots dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated as a locational name, derived from a place called Porthill, which is located in County Laois. The name is an Anglicized version of the Irish Gaelic surname "Ó Portáill," meaning "descendant of Portáill."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Purtell surname can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the early 17th century. Here, the name is mentioned in connection with a notable family that held lands in County Laois during the 13th century.

In the 16th century, the Purtell family played a significant role in the Irish Confederate Wars, with several members serving as soldiers and officers in the Confederate Catholic forces. One such figure was Patrick Purtell, who was recorded as a captain in the Confederate army during the 1640s.

As the centuries passed, the Purtell surname spread beyond its original homeland in County Laois. By the 18th century, there were notable Purtell families residing in other parts of Ireland, including County Cork and County Tipperary. One prominent member of the Cork branch was John Purtell (1733-1800), a successful merchant and landowner.

In the 19th century, the Purtell surname made its way to other parts of the world, carried by Irish emigrants fleeing the Great Famine and seeking new opportunities. One notable individual from this period was Michael Purtell (1824-1895), an Irish-born businessman who settled in Australia and became a prominent figure in the mining industry.

Another notable Purtell was William Purtell (1858-1935), a Canadian politician and lawyer who served as a member of the House of Commons of Canada for several years in the early 20th century. He was born in Ontario to Irish immigrant parents.

Throughout its history, the Purtell surname has also appeared in various spellings, such as Portell, Portel, and Purtill, reflecting regional variations and the challenges of transliterating Irish names into English orthography.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Purtell

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

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

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

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