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

Purter, 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 Purter surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Purter in America

Purter is the 103181st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Purter surname appeared 174 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 Purter.

We can also compare 2010 data for Purter 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 Purter

The surname PURTER is of English origin, arising in the late medieval period around the 13th or 14th century. It is believed to have stemmed from the Old English word "portian", meaning a gate keeper or porter. As such, the name likely originated among those employed as gatekeepers at manors, castles, or towns.

The earliest recorded instances of the PURTER surname can be found in parish records and tax rolls from various counties in England, such as Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Norfolk. One notable early bearer was John Purter, a merchant from York mentioned in a guild register from 1376.

In the 15th century, variations of the spelling appeared, such as Portour,Porter, and Portyr. These variations likely reflected regional dialects and scribal inconsistencies of the time. One example is William Portyr, a landowner in Cambridgeshire listed in the Feet of Fines records from 1428.

While the PURTER name did not rise to aristocratic prominence, several individuals bore the surname throughout the centuries. One was Richard Purter, a yeoman farmer from Hertfordshire born in 1596. Another was Thomas Purter, a clockmaker from London active in the late 17th century.

In the 19th century, the PURTER surname can be found among emigrants to the Americas and other British colonies. One such bearer was James Purter, born in 1832 in Gloucestershire, England, who later settled in Ontario, Canada.

Other noteworthy PURTER individuals include Henry Purter, a teacher and author from Yorkshire active in the early 20th century, and Margaret Purter, a civil rights activist from Liverpool born in 1923.

Though not a widespread surname, PURTER has maintained a modest presence throughout the centuries, tracing its roots back to the gate keepers and porters of medieval England.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Purter

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

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

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

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