Porter (name)

This article is about the given name and surname Porter. For other uses, see Porter.

Porter (\p(o)-rter\) is an English surname and also a given name. The name originates as an Old French occupational name, portier (gatekeeper), or porteour ("to carry"). Its earliest public record is 1086 at Winchester Castle.^[2] With transferred use, Porter also became a unisex given name with varied popularity. According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Porter ranked #433 in 1907, declined to #1002 in 1944, and then rebounded to #476 in 2006.^[3][4]

Porter

Origin
Word/name	Old French
Meaning	"gatekeeper"
Region of origin	England
Frequency Comparisons:[1]

Surname

• Porter (surname)

Given name

Porter

Pronunciation	pawr-ter
Gender	Male
Origin
Word/name	Old French
Meaning	"Gatekeeper"
Region of origin	England

• Porter Blanchard (1886–1973), American silversmith
• Porter Cottrell (born 1962), American bodybuilder
• Porter H. Dale (1867–1933), US congressman and senator from Vermont
• Porter Goss (born 1938), CIA director and US congressman from Florida
• Porter Gustin (born 1997), American football player
• Porter Hall (1888–1953), American film and stage actor
• Porter King (1857–1901), American politician from Alabama and Georgia
• Porter Lainhart (1907–1991), American football player
• Porter J. McCumber (1858–1933), US senator from North Dakota
• Porter Moser (born 1968), American basketball coach
• Porter Robinson (born 1992), American producer and DJ
• Porter Rockwell (1813 or 1815–1878), American gunfighter, deputy United States Marshal and Mormon leadership bodyguard
• Porter Wagoner (1927–2007), American country music singer