Porter
Porter is an English surname and also a given name. The name originates as an Old French occupational name, portier (gatekeeper), or porteour. Its earliest public record is 1086 at Winchester Castle. With transferred use, Porter also became a unisex given name with varied popularity. According to the U.S.
- English
Meaning & Origin of Porter
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Porter is an English surname and also a given name. The name originates as an Old French occupational name, portier (gatekeeper), or porteour. Its earliest public record is 1086 at Winchester Castle. With transferred use, Porter also became a unisex given name with varied popularity. According to the U.S.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
The Story of Porter
Porter first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1880, with 38 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2015, when 862 Porters were born — ranking #375 that year. As of 2026, Porter ranks #646 for baby boys with 439 births, falling sharply (-28%). In total, more than 21K Porters have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Where is Porter most common?
Predicted country distribution based on naming patterns globally.
- United States52%
- United Kingdom14%
- Australia13%
- New Zealand12%
- JM9%
Source: Nationalize.io . Probabilities are global naming-pattern estimates, not strict counts.
Names that sound like Porter
Phonetically similar names — useful when Porter is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Porter
What does the name Porter mean?
What is the origin of the name Porter?
How popular is Porter in 2026?
When was Porter most popular?
In which U.S. states is Porter most popular?
Is Porter a unisex name?
What names go well with Porter?
About the name Porter
Porter is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 21K births in the dataset. Porter's peak popularity came in 2015 when it ranked #273. Use the chart and map above to compare Porter's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2015 →
- Names of the 2010s →
- Names starting with "P" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.