NameCensus.

UK surname

Porter

An occupational surname referring to the gatekeeper of a town or castle, or a person who carries luggage.

In the 1881 census there were 22,471 people recorded with the Porter surname, ranking it #153 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 31,245, ranked #172, down from #153 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wyre, Burnley and South Lakeland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Porter is 32,460 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 39.0%.

1881 census count

22,471

Ranked #153

Modern count

31,245

2016, ranked #172

Peak year

1999

32,460 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Porter had 22,471 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #153 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 31,245 in 2016, ranked #172.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 28,299 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Porter surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Porter surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Porter 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 14,660 #151
1861 historical 15,090 #150
1881 historical 22,471 #153
1891 historical 22,997 #163
1901 historical 28,299 #144
1911 historical 28,002 #141
1997 modern 31,052 #161
1998 modern 32,168 #165
1999 modern 32,460 #163
2000 modern 32,187 #164
2001 modern 31,515 #164
2002 modern 32,034 #167
2003 modern 31,256 #167
2004 modern 31,322 #166
2005 modern 30,773 #166
2006 modern 30,767 #166
2007 modern 30,865 #168
2008 modern 30,990 #167
2009 modern 31,583 #168
2010 modern 32,197 #169
2011 modern 31,786 #168
2012 modern 30,945 #171
2013 modern 31,615 #171
2014 modern 31,753 #171
2015 modern 31,394 #172
2016 modern 31,245 #172

Geography

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Where Porters are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wyre, Burnley, South Lakeland and Charnwood. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wyre 001 Wyre
2 Burnley 014 Burnley
3 South Lakeland 012 South Lakeland
4 Charnwood 013 Charnwood
5 Wyre 011 Wyre

Forenames

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First names often paired with Porter

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Porter

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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Porter surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Porter household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Porter 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

Porter is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Porter falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Porter 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 Porter, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Porter

The surname PORTER originated in England and Scotland during the late 12th century. It derives from the Old French word "portier", meaning gatekeeper or door attendant. In medieval times, PORTERs were responsible for guarding the entrance to castles, monasteries, and towns. The name was likely first adopted as an occupational surname by individuals employed in this role.

The name is found in early English records, including the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1181, which mention a Walter le Porter. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 also contain references to individuals with the surname, such as Henry le Porter from Oxfordshire. These historical documents provide some of the earliest recorded examples of the name in use.

Place names like Porter's Gate in Hertfordshire and Porter's Hill in Wiltshire may have derived their names from individuals bearing the PORTER surname who lived or worked in those areas. Additionally, variations in spelling, such as Portour and Portoure, were common in early records.

Notable individuals with the surname PORTER include:

1. William PORTER (c. 1590-1659), an English Puritan minister and one of the founders of Yale College in Connecticut. 2. Jane PORTER (1776-1850), a Scottish historical novelist best known for her work "The Scottish Chiefs". 3. Fitz-John PORTER (1822-1901), an American Civil War general who was court-martialed for his actions at the Second Battle of Bull Run. 4. Cole PORTER (1891-1964), an American composer and songwriter renowned for his contributions to musical theater, including classics like "Anything Goes" and "Night and Day". 5. Katherine Anne PORTER (1890-1980), an American journalist, essayist, and Pulitzer Prize-winning author of short stories and novels, including "Ship of Fools".

The surname PORTER has a long and storied history, originating from an occupational role in medieval England and Scotland. It has since been borne by notable figures across various fields, including religion, literature, military, and the arts.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Porter families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Porter 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. Lancashire leads with 3,126 Porters recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.20x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 3,126 1.20x
Middlesex 2,599 1.19x
Yorkshire 1,216 0.56x
Essex 1,166 2.69x
Surrey 1,014 0.95x
Staffordshire 819 1.11x
Norfolk 740 2.20x
Lincolnshire 714 2.04x
Somerset 681 1.93x
Hampshire 676 1.50x
Kent 654 0.87x
Lanarkshire 632 0.89x
Gloucestershire 569 1.32x
Warwickshire 519 0.94x
Durham 510 0.78x
Leicestershire 442 1.82x
Nottinghamshire 394 1.33x
Aberdeenshire 369 1.82x
Cambridgeshire 353 2.54x
Wiltshire 352 1.82x
Cheshire 312 0.64x
Suffolk 310 1.16x
Sussex 305 0.83x
Cumberland 294 1.56x
Worcestershire 288 1.01x
Derbyshire 237 0.69x
Northumberland 208 0.64x
Ayrshire 179 1.09x
Northamptonshire 179 0.87x
Renfrewshire 178 1.05x
Shropshire 178 0.94x
Angus 176 0.87x
Berkshire 166 1.01x
Hertfordshire 158 1.05x
Devon 154 0.34x
Glamorgan 142 0.37x
Oxfordshire 133 0.98x
Monmouthshire 117 0.74x
Dorset 113 0.79x
Bedfordshire 108 0.95x
Midlothian 107 0.36x
Herefordshire 102 1.13x
Cornwall 72 0.29x
Banffshire 70 1.54x
Kirkcudbrightshire 62 1.95x
Perthshire 52 0.53x
Dunbartonshire 50 0.85x
Buckinghamshire 45 0.34x
Fife 42 0.32x
Stirlingshire 38 0.47x
Wigtownshire 38 1.31x
Rutland 32 1.99x
Dumfriesshire 30 0.62x
Berwickshire 26 0.98x
Royal Navy 19 0.73x
Kincardineshire 18 0.67x
Argyllshire 17 0.28x
East Lothian 17 0.59x
Flintshire 17 0.29x
Channel Islands 16 0.25x
Denbighshire 13 0.16x
Huntingdonshire 13 0.30x
Morayshire 12 0.35x
Roxburghshire 12 0.30x
Kinross-shire 10 1.80x
Westmorland 10 0.21x
Peeblesshire 8 0.78x
Caernarfonshire 6 0.07x
Pembrokeshire 6 0.09x
Isle of Man 5 0.12x
West Lothian 5 0.15x
Caithness 4 0.13x
Anglesey 3 0.08x
Nairnshire 3 0.45x
Brecknockshire 2 0.05x
Inverness-shire 2 0.03x
Buteshire 1 0.08x
Cardiganshire 1 0.02x
Carmarthenshire 1 0.01x
Merionethshire 1 0.02x
Radnorshire 1 0.06x
Selkirkshire 1 0.05x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Barony in Lanarkshire leads with 238 Porters recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.33x.

Place Total Index
Barony 238 1.33x
Islington London 237 1.12x
Preston 218 3.13x
St Pancras London 215 1.22x
Southery 208 233.73x
Birmingham 189 1.03x
Hackney London 169 1.38x
Camberwell 165 1.18x
West Ham 162 1.70x
Govan 161 0.92x
Lambeth 160 0.84x
Thornton In Fylde 155 27.24x
Bethnal Green London 147 1.54x
Nottingham St Mary 146 1.91x
Aston 141 0.93x
St Marylebone London 140 1.20x
Barking 132 10.43x
Liverpool 121 0.77x
Glasgow 119 0.95x
Kensington London 117 0.96x
Battersea 114 1.41x
Sedgley 114 4.15x
Mile End Old Town 113 3.27x
Wolverhampton 105 1.85x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 104 2.57x
Portsea 99 1.12x
Leicester St Margaret 97 1.64x
Bermondsey 94 1.44x
Blackburn 91 1.31x
Paddington London 88 1.09x
Hornsey 86 3.10x
Bromley London 84 1.74x
Manchester 82 0.70x
Poplar London 81 1.96x
Hammersmith London 80 1.48x
Shoreditch London 80 0.84x
St George Hanover 80 2.80x
West Derby 80 1.05x
Holy Trinity 79 1.51x
Toxteth Park 78 0.89x
St Luke London 77 2.19x
Great Yarmouth 74 2.65x
Haddenham 72 55.15x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 71 1.87x
Easton In Gordano 70 49.28x
North Meols 70 2.75x
Clerkenwell London 68 1.31x
Aberdeen Old Machar 67 1.58x
Everton 67 0.81x
Great Somerford 67 162.35x
Deptford St Paul 66 1.14x
Newington 66 0.82x
Bridgewater 64 6.68x
Halstead 64 12.68x
Trowbridge 61 7.12x
Sileby 60 39.14x
Salford 59 0.77x
Ashton Under Lyne 58 1.02x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 58 0.49x
St Andrewthe Less 58 3.66x
Wigan 58 1.60x
Barrow In Furness 57 1.61x
Bury 57 1.92x
Chelsea London 57 0.86x
Chelmsford 56 7.54x
Hampstead London 56 1.64x
Kingswinford 56 2.08x
Brighton 55 0.74x
Lewisham 55 1.38x
Croydon 51 0.86x
Gateshead 51 1.04x
Plumstead 51 2.05x
Stoke Upon Trent 50 0.64x
Little Bolton 49 1.47x
Bristol St George 48 2.41x
Ely Holy Trinity St Mary 47 7.76x
Odiham 47 23.83x
Aldershot 46 3.06x
Bow London 46 1.65x
Layton With Warbreck 45 4.71x
Wolstanton 45 2.00x
Bocking 44 16.91x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 1,322
Elizabeth 820
Sarah 670
Ann 398
Jane 372
Ellen 336
Emma 334
Alice 332
Eliza 327
Annie 277
Emily 250
Margaret 203
Martha 195
Hannah 186
Charlotte 148
Louisa 143
Edith 137
Florence 133
Harriet 132
Ada 130
Maria 125
Fanny 117
Caroline 101
Catherine 97
Agnes 87
Frances 87
Harriett 83
Clara 77
Susan 76
Rose 72
Kate 71
Lucy 70
Anne 66
Sophia 65
Rebecca 61
Isabella 54
Esther 53
Matilda 52
Jessie 48
Amelia 46
Eleanor 42
Gertrude 37
Amy 35
Julia 35
Lydia 34
Minnie 34
Ethel 33
Helen 32
Laura 32
Susannah 32

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 1,339
John 1,185
Thomas 671
George 662
James 634
Henry 491
Charles 412
Joseph 351
Robert 298
Richard 246
Edward 228
Alfred 223
Arthur 203
Samuel 175
Frederick 169
Albert 137
Walter 136
Harry 111
Frank 105
Ernest 94
Herbert 92
Francis 65
Benjamin 62
Edwin 59
David 57
Wm. 53
Fred 38
Thos. 35
Stephen 33
Peter 31
Daniel 28
Christopher 27
Geo. 26
Fredrick 24
Isaac 24
Alexander 23
Chas. 23
Edmund 23
Jesse 23
Jonathan 22
Sidney 21
Fredk. 20
Ralph 20
Philip 19
Tom 17
Mark 16
Percy 16
Abraham 15
Andrew 15
Leonard 15

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Porter households.

FAQ

Porter surname: questions and answers

How common was the Porter surname in 1881?

In 1881, 22,471 people were recorded with the Porter surname. That placed it at #153 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Porter surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 31,245 in 2016. That gives Porter a modern rank of #172.

What does the Porter surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to the gatekeeper of a town or castle, or a person who carries luggage.

What does the Porter map show?

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