NameCensus.

UK surname

Port

A topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a port, harbor, or market town.

In the 1881 census there were 847 people recorded with the Port surname, ranking it #4,455 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,110, ranked #5,294, down from #4,455 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Herne (incl. Herne Bay Chapelry), Burton-on-Trent and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Rhondda Cynon Taf, East Hampshire and North Dorset.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Port is 1,208 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 31.1%.

1881 census count

847

Ranked #4,455

Modern count

1,110

2016, ranked #5,294

Peak year

1911

1,208 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Port had 847 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,455 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,110 in 2016, ranked #5,294.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,208 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Port surname distribution map

The map shows where the Port surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Port surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Port over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 652 #3,985
1861 historical 837 #3,296
1881 historical 847 #4,455
1891 historical 1,027 #4,057
1901 historical 1,142 #4,255
1911 historical 1,208 #3,902
1997 modern 1,111 #5,027
1998 modern 1,170 #4,986
1999 modern 1,176 #5,014
2000 modern 1,117 #5,205
2001 modern 1,097 #5,185
2002 modern 1,117 #5,218
2003 modern 1,103 #5,171
2004 modern 1,135 #5,055
2005 modern 1,123 #5,050
2006 modern 1,103 #5,132
2007 modern 1,109 #5,150
2008 modern 1,097 #5,230
2009 modern 1,116 #5,257
2010 modern 1,151 #5,237
2011 modern 1,144 #5,203
2012 modern 1,098 #5,297
2013 modern 1,113 #5,317
2014 modern 1,142 #5,229
2015 modern 1,107 #5,325
2016 modern 1,110 #5,294

Geography

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Where Ports are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Herne (incl. Herne Bay Chapelry), Burton-on-Trent, London parishes and Portsmouth, Portsea. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Rhondda Cynon Taf, East Hampshire, North Dorset, Warwick and Canterbury. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Herne (incl. Herne Bay Chapelry) Kent
2 Burton-on-Trent Staffordshire
3 London parishes London 1
4 London parishes London 3
5 Portsmouth, Portsea Hampshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Rhondda Cynon Taf 016 Rhondda Cynon Taf
2 East Hampshire 012 East Hampshire
3 North Dorset 003 North Dorset
4 Warwick 006 Warwick
5 Canterbury 019 Canterbury

Forenames

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First names often paired with Port

These lists show first names that appear often with the Port surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Port

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Port, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Port surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Port household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Port is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Port is most concentrated in decile 9 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Port falls in decile 5 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Port is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Port, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Port

The surname Port has its origins in England and dates back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "port," which referred to a harbor or a town with a harbor. This suggests that the name was likely originally borne by individuals who lived near a port or worked in a port-related occupation.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Port can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1195, where a person named William Port is mentioned. Another early reference is in the Curia Regis Rolls of Yorkshire in 1201, which mentions a Robert del Port.

The Port surname is also associated with several place names in England, such as Port Meadow in Oxfordshire and Portbury in Somerset. These place names may have influenced the development of the surname or vice versa.

In the 13th century, a notable bearer of the name was Sir John Port (c. 1250-1322), a wealthy landowner and benefactor from Derbyshire. He founded a hospital and almshouses in Etwall, which are still operational today.

Another significant figure with the Port surname was Sir John Port (1516-1557), a merchant and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1554. He was involved in establishing the Muscovy Company, which traded with Russia.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Port surname was also found in various parts of England, including Yorkshire, Gloucestershire, and Somerset. Notable individuals from this period include William Port (c. 1590-1670), a member of the Massachusetts Bay Colony and one of the founders of Springfield, Massachusetts.

In the 18th century, John Port (1726-1806) was a prominent English industrialist and entrepreneur who established the Port Dundas foundry in Glasgow, Scotland. He made significant contributions to the development of the iron industry in the region.

Another bearer of the Port surname was Sir John Port (1778-1839), a British naval officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars and was later appointed as the Governor of Malta.

While the Port surname has continued to be present in various parts of the English-speaking world, its origins can be traced back to medieval England and its association with ports, harbors, and maritime activities.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Port families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Port surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Kent leads with 222 Ports recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.91x.

County Total Index
Kent 222 7.91x
Surrey 127 3.17x
Middlesex 84 1.02x
Hampshire 83 4.92x
Devon 64 3.74x
Sussex 56 4.04x
Staffordshire 36 1.30x
Lancashire 25 0.26x
Warwickshire 17 0.82x
Yorkshire 15 0.18x
Essex 14 0.86x
Lanarkshire 14 0.53x
Berkshire 13 2.11x
Derbyshire 12 0.93x
Worcestershire 12 1.12x
Cheshire 11 0.61x
Hertfordshire 6 1.06x
Caernarfonshire 5 1.50x
Angus 3 0.39x
Buckinghamshire 3 0.60x
Dorset 3 0.56x
Durham 3 0.12x
Gloucestershire 3 0.19x
Northamptonshire 3 0.39x
Northumberland 2 0.16x
Wiltshire 2 0.28x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.13x
Monmouthshire 1 0.17x
Renfrewshire 1 0.16x
Suffolk 1 0.10x
Westmorland 1 0.55x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Herne in Kent leads with 36 Ports recorded in 1881 and an index of 289.86x.

Place Total Index
Herne 36 289.86x
Portsea 26 7.87x
Burton Upon Trent 23 35.42x
Camberwell 20 3.81x
Kingsbridge 19 441.86x
Brighton 17 6.08x
Canterbury St Dunstan 15 309.92x
Sittingbourne 14 63.18x
Buriton 12 369.23x
Shere 12 247.93x
Battersea 11 3.64x
Holbeton 11 350.32x
Reading St Giles 11 18.16x
Shotts 11 34.56x
Ash Next Sandwich 10 161.03x
Fulham London 10 8.39x
Woodnesborough 10 389.11x
Ashburton 9 110.02x
Aston 9 1.58x
Birchington 9 229.01x
Fetcham 9 671.64x
Kingston On Thames 9 9.35x
Bilsington 8 740.74x
Brotton 8 75.26x
Charlton 8 42.94x
Harborne 8 8.99x
Malborough 8 117.65x
Preston 8 33.04x
Preston Next Faversham 8 121.21x
Reigate Borough 8 86.58x
Birmingham 7 1.01x
Greenwich 7 5.35x
Hoath 7 736.84x
Lambeth 7 0.98x
Reigate Foreign 7 16.13x
Ropley 7 283.40x
Twickenham 7 19.85x
Willesden 7 9.03x
Bushey 6 44.48x
Dudley 6 4.60x
Eddisbury 6 857.14x
Froxfield 6 307.69x
Litchurch 6 11.58x
Litherland 6 29.41x
Low Leyton 6 410.96x
Pershore St Andrew 6 101.18x
Reculver 6 714.29x
South Hayling 6 200.00x
Southampton St Michael 6 108.11x
St Lawrence 6 31.10x
Stanwell 6 98.52x
Toxteth Park 6 1.82x
Wanstead 6 21.10x
Bangor 5 15.59x
Chelsea London 5 2.02x
Ermington 5 80.26x
Hammersmith London 5 2.47x
Seasalter 5 141.24x
Southwark St Saviour 5 11.83x
St Anne Soho London 5 10.65x
St Pancras London 5 0.76x
Tormoham 5 6.90x
Wolverhampton 5 2.34x
Canterbury St Gregory 4 108.11x
Canterbury St Paul 4 79.37x
Cobham 4 60.79x
Denton 4 291.97x
Deptford St Nicholas 4 17.96x
Ewhurst 4 159.36x
Gorton 4 4.36x
Lewisham 4 2.67x
Lyminge 4 165.98x
Midhurst 4 87.91x
Mile End Old Town 4 3.08x
Moss Side 4 7.79x
Newington 4 1.32x
Paddington London 4 1.32x
Preston Candover 4 341.88x
Sandwich St Peter 4 135.59x
Ugborough 4 96.62x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Port surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 42
Elizabeth 32
Sarah 25
Annie 17
Eliza 17
Emily 16
Jane 15
Louisa 15
Alice 14
Charlotte 13
Ellen 13
Emma 13
Ann 11
Edith 11
Caroline 9
Harriet 6
Harriett 6
Laura 6
Clara 5
Kate 5
Maria 5
Sophia 5
Catherine 4
Susan 4
Susannah 4
Ada 3
Agnes 3
Elizth. 3
Florence 3
Frances 3
Helen 3
Jessie 3
Martha 3
Rosa 3
Amelia 2
Amy 2
Anna 2
Anne 2
Bertha 2
Eleanor 2
Francis 2
Louise 2
Mabel 2
Margaret 2
Marion 2
Matilda 2
Rose 2
Rosenia 2
Blanche 1
Carlotta 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Port surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
William 74
George 49
John 42
James 26
Thomas 24
Henry 23
Charles 19
Frederick 12
Albert 9
Richard 9
Alfred 8
Samuel 8
Arthur 7
Edward 7
Harry 7
Peter 6
Daniel 4
Edwin 4
Stephen 4
Walter 4
Ernest 3
Frank 3
Herbert 3
Percy 3
Sidney 3
Frederic 2
Fredk. 2
Gilbert 2
Ned 2
Percival 2
Phillip 2
Randall 2
Alonso 1
Auther 1
Dan 1
David 1
Douglas 1
Edmund 1
Elisha 1
Emile 1
Francis 1
Fred 1
Fredrick 1
Infant 1
Jabez 1
Joseph 1
Levi 1
Luis 1
Philip 1
Willie 1

FAQ

Port surname: questions and answers

How common was the Port surname in 1881?

In 1881, 847 people were recorded with the Port surname. That placed it at #4,455 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Port surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,110 in 2016. That gives Port a modern rank of #5,294.

What does the Port surname mean?

A topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a port, harbor, or market town.

What does the Port map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Port bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.