NameCensus.

UK surname

Portman

A locational surname referring to one from any of various places called Portman.

In the 1881 census there were 547 people recorded with the Portman surname, ranking it #6,313 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,156, ranked #5,105, up from #6,313 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rowley Regis, Dudley and Sheffield. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Sheffield, Barnsley and Dudley.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Portman is 1,183 in 2011. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 111.3%.

1881 census count

547

Ranked #6,313

Modern count

1,156

2016, ranked #5,105

Peak year

2011

1,183 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Portman had 547 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,313 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,156 in 2016, ranked #5,105.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 824 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Portman surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Portman surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Portman 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 329 #7,079
1861 historical 382 #6,698
1881 historical 547 #6,313
1891 historical 670 #5,814
1901 historical 798 #5,664
1911 historical 824 #5,351
1997 modern 1,111 #5,027
1998 modern 1,163 #5,011
1999 modern 1,166 #5,048
2000 modern 1,124 #5,179
2001 modern 1,118 #5,102
2002 modern 1,133 #5,154
2003 modern 1,109 #5,143
2004 modern 1,113 #5,135
2005 modern 1,086 #5,177
2006 modern 1,077 #5,226
2007 modern 1,108 #5,153
2008 modern 1,109 #5,183
2009 modern 1,140 #5,167
2010 modern 1,174 #5,137
2011 modern 1,183 #5,048
2012 modern 1,158 #5,057
2013 modern 1,163 #5,124
2014 modern 1,174 #5,115
2015 modern 1,141 #5,197
2016 modern 1,156 #5,105

Geography

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Where Portmans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rowley Regis, Dudley, Sheffield, Halesowen (all except Hunnington, Romsley; partly in Halesowen, Worcestershire) and Birmingham Town: Birmingham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Sheffield, Barnsley, Dudley and Wychavon. 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 Rowley Regis Staffordshire
2 Dudley Staffordshire
3 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Halesowen (all except Hunnington, Romsley; partly in Halesowen, Worcestershire) Staffordshire
5 Birmingham Town: Birmingham Warwickshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Sheffield 004 Sheffield
2 Barnsley 019 Barnsley
3 Sheffield 003 Sheffield
4 Dudley 025 Dudley
5 Wychavon 019 Wychavon

Forenames

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First names often paired with Portman

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Portman

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Portman, 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 Portman surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Portman 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, Portman 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

Portman is most concentrated in decile 4 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Portman falls in decile 2 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Portman

The surname Portman originated in England, and it is believed to have first emerged in the 12th or 13th century. The name is derived from the Old English words "port," meaning a gate or entrance, and "mann," referring to a man or person. It is thought that the name was initially given as an occupational surname to gatekeepers or porters who guarded the entrances to towns, castles, or other fortified locations.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Portman can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from the year 1195, which mention a person named William Portman. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 also contain references to individuals with the surname Portman in various counties across England.

In the 14th century, the Portman family established themselves as prominent landowners in Somerset, where they held the manor of Orchard Portman. Sir William Portman (c. 1495-1557), who served as Lord Chief Justice of England from 1555 to 1557, was a notable member of this family.

The Portman name has also been associated with several place names in England, such as Portman Square in London, which was developed in the 18th century on land owned by the Portman family. The Portman Estate in Marylebone, London, was also named after this influential family.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Portman. One of the earliest was Sir John Portman (c. 1395-1457), a wealthy merchant and member of Parliament from Somerset. Sir William Portman (c. 1643-1690) was a prominent English politician and MP who served as Lord Chief Justice of the King's Bench from 1677 to 1689.

In more recent times, Natalie Portman (born 1981) is a famous American actress who has won an Academy Award and has starred in numerous critically acclaimed films. Sir Manny Portman (1836-1888) was a British businessman and philanthropist who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1886-1887.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Portman families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Portman 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. Worcestershire leads with 209 Portmans recorded in 1881 and an index of 30.05x.

County Total Index
Worcestershire 209 30.05x
Staffordshire 55 3.06x
Herefordshire 42 19.23x
Warwickshire 42 3.13x
Yorkshire 36 0.68x
Somerset 34 3.97x
Middlesex 29 0.54x
Surrey 17 0.66x
Gloucestershire 15 1.44x
Oxfordshire 11 3.34x
Lancashire 10 0.16x
Hampshire 9 0.82x
Derbyshire 8 0.96x
Kent 6 0.33x
Dorset 4 1.14x
Brecknockshire 3 2.82x
Cambridgeshire 3 0.89x
Berkshire 2 0.50x
Buckinghamshire 2 0.62x
Leicestershire 2 0.34x
Sussex 2 0.22x
Cheshire 1 0.09x
Cornwall 1 0.17x
Devon 1 0.09x
Midlothian 1 0.14x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.14x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Dudley in Worcestershire leads with 54 Portmans recorded in 1881 and an index of 63.87x.

Place Total Index
Dudley 54 63.87x
Rowley Regis 44 87.82x
Feckenham 30 376.88x
Birmingham 28 6.26x
Hasbury 21 461.54x
Bromsgrove 16 68.35x
Ecclesfield 14 36.18x
Alfrick 13 1585.37x
Kimberworth 13 44.38x
Leigh 13 154.03x
Powick 11 228.22x
Oxford St Mary Magdalen 10 256.41x
Paddington London 9 4.60x
Rotherhithe 9 13.68x
Christchurch 8 33.80x
Leominster 8 88.50x
Whittington 8 69.32x
Aston 7 1.89x
Austrey 7 1060.61x
Huntington In Hereford 7 2916.67x
Monckton Combe 7 255.47x
Nortonwith 7 648.15x
Corton Denham 6 967.74x
Halesowen 6 98.20x
Wichenford 6 869.57x
Wookey 6 317.46x
Cartworth 5 114.68x
Droitwich St Peter 5 320.51x
Evesbatch 5 5000.00x
North Petherton 5 72.25x
St Marylebone London 5 1.76x
Worcester St John 5 60.17x
Belbroughton 4 110.80x
Castle Frome 4 1428.57x
Chorlton On Medlock 4 3.98x
Clifton Upon Teme 4 487.80x
Ditcheat 4 272.11x
Garston 4 21.45x
The Hill 4 89.49x
Walsall Foreign 4 4.31x
Bethnal Green London 3 1.30x
Bilston 3 8.61x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 3 3.05x
Bryanstone 3 638.30x
Corse 3 315.79x
Dullingham 3 198.68x
Gloucester Longford St 3 212.77x
Hay 3 75.76x
Ombersley 3 77.52x
Richmond 3 8.25x
St Giles In Fields 3 16.33x
Staple Fitzpaine 3 882.35x
Westminster St John 3 4.63x
Whitbourne 3 220.59x
Worcester St Peter 3 22.80x
Areley Kings 2 162.60x
Bristol St George 2 4.14x
Clifton 2 3.79x
Deptford St Paul 2 1.43x
Kensington London 2 0.68x
Lutterworth 2 55.56x
Middlesbrough 2 2.91x
Pylle 2 408.16x
St George Hanover 2 2.88x
Thames Ditton 2 37.11x
Wednesfield 2 7.56x
Woking 2 12.79x
Worcester St Martin 2 21.32x
Durweston 1 144.93x
Falsgrave 1 12.85x
Hereford St Nicholas 1 33.67x
Hove 1 2.54x
Kings Norton 1 1.60x
Pendock 1 232.56x
Plymouth St Andrew 1 1.17x
Spitalfields London 1 2.50x
Warndon 1 357.14x
Wateringbury 1 42.19x
Witney 1 18.18x
Yarkhill 1 123.46x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 38
George 23
John 23
James 18
Thomas 18
Charles 13
Joseph 12
Edward 11
Henry 10
Samuel 10
Frederick 6
Walter 5
Arthur 4
Herbert 4
Ernest 3
Francis 3
Richard 3
Albert 2
Alfred 2
Benjamin 2
Edwin 2
Fred 2
Maurice 2
Robert 2
Samual 2
Seymour 2
Wm. 2
Wyndham 2
Alec 1
Bernard 1
Claud 1
David 1
Eanock 1
Edgar 1
Edmon 1
Ferdinand 1
Fitzharding 1
Frederic 1
Friend 1
Geo. 1
Gerald 1
Harry 1
Leonard 1
Lionel 1
Mathew 1
Montague 1
Moses 1
Nelson 1
Percy 1
Phillip 1

FAQ

Portman surname: questions and answers

How common was the Portman surname in 1881?

In 1881, 547 people were recorded with the Portman surname. That placed it at #6,313 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Portman surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,156 in 2016. That gives Portman a modern rank of #5,105.

What does the Portman surname mean?

A locational surname referring to one from any of various places called Portman.

What does the Portman map show?

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