NameCensus.

UK surname

Porteous

A surname derived from the Old French word "porteus," meaning gatekeeper or porter.

In the 1881 census there were 2,030 people recorded with the Porteous surname, ranking it #2,167 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,645, ranked #2,523, down from #2,167 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Inveresk, Govan Combination and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Annandale East, Lockerbie and Northumberland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Porteous is 2,734 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 30.3%.

1881 census count

2,030

Ranked #2,167

Modern count

2,645

2016, ranked #2,523

Peak year

2010

2,734 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Porteous had 2,030 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,167 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,645 in 2016, ranked #2,523.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,514 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Porteous surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Porteous surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Porteous 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 1,423 #2,021
1861 historical 1,469 #1,929
1881 historical 2,030 #2,167
1891 historical 2,299 #2,039
1901 historical 2,514 #2,182
1911 historical 896 #4,971
1997 modern 2,594 #2,447
1998 modern 2,717 #2,441
1999 modern 2,721 #2,452
2000 modern 2,718 #2,439
2001 modern 2,642 #2,455
2002 modern 2,654 #2,487
2003 modern 2,585 #2,492
2004 modern 2,554 #2,517
2005 modern 2,554 #2,496
2006 modern 2,550 #2,501
2007 modern 2,558 #2,520
2008 modern 2,590 #2,503
2009 modern 2,666 #2,496
2010 modern 2,734 #2,491
2011 modern 2,690 #2,497
2012 modern 2,618 #2,525
2013 modern 2,681 #2,507
2014 modern 2,665 #2,540
2015 modern 2,655 #2,527
2016 modern 2,645 #2,523

Geography

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Where Porteous' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Inveresk, Govan Combination, Gateshead, Edinburgh and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Annandale East, Lockerbie, Northumberland and Moffat. 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 Inveresk Edinburgh
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Gateshead Durham
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Annandale East Dumfries and Galloway
2 Lockerbie Dumfries and Galloway
3 Northumberland 003 Northumberland
4 Moffat Dumfries and Galloway
5 Northumberland 005 Northumberland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Porteous

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Porteous

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Porteous, 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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Porteous surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Porteous household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Porteous is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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 located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Porteous is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Porteous falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Porteous is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

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

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Porteous

The surname Porteous has its origins in Scotland, dating back to the 16th century. It is derived from the Scottish Gaelic word "Portair," meaning "porter" or "gatekeeper." This suggests that the name was likely given to individuals who held positions as gatekeepers or doorkeepers at castles, churches, or other important buildings.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in the Register of the Privy Seal of Scotland, which dates back to the year 1547. In this record, a man named James Porteous is mentioned, indicating that the name was already in use during that time period.

The name Porteous also appears in various historical documents from the 17th and 18th centuries. For example, in the records of the Scottish Church, there are mentions of individuals bearing the surname, such as John Porteous, who was born in 1685 and served as a minister in the parish of Kilspindie.

Another notable bearer of the name was Captain John Porteous, a British military officer who lived from 1695 to 1736. He gained notoriety for his involvement in the Porteous Riots, a series of violent protests that took place in Edinburgh in 1736 after he ordered his troops to fire upon a crowd of spectators at a public execution.

In the literary world, the Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894) wrote a novel titled "The Body Snatcher" in 1884, which featured a character named Mr. Porteous, a respected member of the community who was involved in the trade of cadavers for medical research.

Another famous bearer of the surname was Sir William Porteous (1857-1951), a Scottish businessman and philanthropist who made significant contributions to the development of the city of Glasgow. He served as Lord Provost of Glasgow from 1911 to 1917.

The Porteous name has also been associated with various place names in Scotland, such as Porteous Croft and Porteous Burn, which are located in the Scottish Borders region. These place names may have been derived from individuals bearing the surname who lived or had landholdings in those areas.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Porteous families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Porteous 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. Midlothian leads with 443 Porteous' recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.98x.

County Total Index
Midlothian 443 16.98x
Lanarkshire 330 5.24x
Durham 127 2.19x
Northumberland 111 3.83x
Dumfriesshire 98 22.77x
East Lothian 79 30.62x
Yorkshire 62 0.32x
Middlesex 57 0.29x
Roxburghshire 49 13.89x
Stirlingshire 49 6.82x
Lancashire 47 0.20x
Ayrshire 45 3.09x
Kirkcudbrightshire 42 14.89x
Wigtownshire 39 15.08x
Perthshire 36 4.12x
Fife 30 2.60x
West Lothian 29 9.89x
Peeblesshire 27 29.47x
Renfrewshire 26 1.72x
Surrey 23 0.24x
Cumberland 18 1.07x
Shetland 18 9.05x
Warwickshire 18 0.37x
Berwickshire 16 6.78x
Selkirkshire 16 9.08x
Clackmannanshire 14 8.70x
Cheshire 13 0.30x
Kent 13 0.20x
Orkney 13 6.07x
Lincolnshire 12 0.39x
Essex 10 0.26x
Gloucestershire 10 0.26x
Dunbartonshire 9 1.72x
Kinross-shire 9 18.27x
Worcestershire 7 0.28x
Berkshire 6 0.41x
Cornwall 6 0.27x
Shropshire 6 0.36x
Hampshire 4 0.10x
Inverness-shire 4 0.69x
Morayshire 4 1.32x
Northamptonshire 4 0.22x
Anglesey 2 0.58x
Angus 2 0.11x
Argyllshire 2 0.37x
Buteshire 2 1.69x
Devon 2 0.05x
Sussex 2 0.06x
Westmorland 2 0.47x
Wiltshire 2 0.12x
Kincardineshire 1 0.42x
Royal Navy 1 0.43x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Edinburgh St Cuthberts in Midlothian leads with 163 Porteous' recorded in 1881 and an index of 15.52x.

Place Total Index
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 163 15.52x
Govan 74 4.75x
Barony 73 4.58x
South Leith 55 18.73x
Lasswade 42 70.39x
Glasgow 34 3.04x
Dalkeith 33 64.09x
Bothwell 27 15.80x
Penicuik 27 76.14x
Gateshead 25 5.76x
Hexham 25 55.73x
Kilmarnock 25 14.41x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 24 9.56x
Biggar 23 161.52x
Bishopwearmouth 21 4.22x
Dunbar 21 58.04x
Elswick 21 9.08x
Moffat 21 106.92x
Old Monkland 20 8.00x
Blackford 19 177.74x
Johnstone 19 283.58x
Melrose 19 62.27x
Haddington 17 44.63x
Carnwath 16 41.07x
Inveresk 16 22.64x
Northmavine 16 105.61x
Stranraer 16 67.62x
Alva 15 43.77x
Falkirk 14 8.32x
Kelso 14 39.82x
Lesmahagow 14 21.01x
Urr 14 38.17x
Cockpen 13 42.62x
Stromness 13 80.85x
Aston 12 0.89x
Edinburgh Buccleuch 12 19.44x
Liverpool 12 0.85x
Morton 12 84.03x
North Leith 12 9.94x
Tranent 12 34.42x
Sorbie 11 97.26x
Sunderland 11 10.75x
Cambuslang 10 15.74x
Crook Billy Row 10 13.47x
Edinburgh Greenside 10 29.00x
Galashiels 10 15.35x
Gladsmuir 10 86.96x
Godalming 10 16.74x
Hampstead London 10 3.30x
Newcastle On Tyne St 10 6.66x
Abercorn 9 154.91x
Bolton 9 400.00x
Edinburgh Canongate 9 13.55x
Great Lever 9 36.69x
Kinross 9 53.32x
Langholm 9 29.10x
Linlithgow 9 23.92x
Peebles 9 33.23x
Prestonkirk 9 69.77x
St Ninians 9 12.64x
Wilton 9 23.24x
Camberwell 8 0.64x
Glencorse 8 79.84x
Hebron Cockle Park Earsdon 8 333.33x
Kelton 8 34.53x
Perth East Church 8 9.71x
Saffron Walden 8 19.69x
St Pancras London 8 0.51x
Wetheral 8 36.02x
Clackmannan 7 23.02x
Crossmichael 7 78.48x
Dalry 7 10.20x
Duddingston 7 13.36x
Hutton 7 128.91x
Kyloe 7 104.79x
Leslie 7 23.97x
Liberton 7 17.38x
Markinch 7 17.88x
Norton In Malton 7 29.91x
Thornaby 7 9.70x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 47
Jane 23
Elizabeth 17
Margaret 17
Sarah 14
Ann 12
Isabella 9
Ellen 8
Hannah 7
Helen 7
Annie 6
Eliza 6
Emma 6
Caroline 5
Catherine 5
Jessie 5
Alice 4
Anne 4
Edith 4
Janet 4
Kate 3
Margt. 3
Agnes 2
Dinah 2
Dorothy 2
Eleanor 2
Ellenor 2
Estelle 2
Esther 2
Ethel 2
Fanny 2
Florence 2
Hilda 2
Laura 2
Lilian 2
Lucy 2
Madeline 2
Matilda 2
Rose 2
Thomasina 2
Amy 1
Berta 1
Bertha 1
Blanche 1
Eliza.Ann 1
Ellison 1
Emily 1
Isabel 1
Jame 1
Whitemina 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
James 41
John 37
William 33
George 28
Thomas 18
Robert 12
Charles 7
Joseph 7
Arthur 4
Gilbert 4
Henry 4
David 3
Matthew 3
Samuel 3
Adam 2
Alexander 2
Christopher 2
Edwin 2
Peter 2
Reginald 2
Richard 2
Walter 2
Williamson 2
Alfread 1
Ambrose 1
Andrew 1
Anthony 1
Archibald 1
Clark 1
Crawford 1
Donald 1
Ernest 1
Flora 1
Fred 1
Frederick 1
Geo. 1
Herbert 1
Hereward 1
Infant 1
Isaac 1
J. 1
Jas. 1
Malcolm 1
Nathan 1
Norman 1
Percy 1
Rob 1
Robt. 1
Ronald 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Porteous surname: questions and answers

How common was the Porteous surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,030 people were recorded with the Porteous surname. That placed it at #2,167 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Porteous surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,645 in 2016. That gives Porteous a modern rank of #2,523.

What does the Porteous surname mean?

A surname derived from the Old French word "porteus," meaning gatekeeper or porter.

What does the Porteous map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Porteous 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.