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Name Lineage

    The first name Porter

    A boy’s name from English meaning “porter”, “doorman”, “door”.

    2 syllables Male Also a surname

    Meaning and origin

    English origin

    Porter means “porter”, “doorman”, “door” in English.

    From Middle English Porter, from porter (“porter”), * From Old French portier (“doorman”), from porte (“door”) * From Old French portour (“bearer”), from porter (“to carry”)

    From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).

    Popularity

    Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025

    Porter last appeared in the official list in 2024, given to 4 boys. It peaked in 2018, with 10 births (#2,112).

    0510 1996200020052010201520202025
    GirlsBoys
    96
    babies named Porter, 1996–2025
    #4,270
    rank in 2024
    2018
    peak year

    Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Porter with other names.

    Popularity in the United States

    Babies named Porter at birth, 1880–2025

    In 2025, 531 boys born in the United States were named Porter, the 560th most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 2015, when 862 were.

    0450900 188018851890189519001905191019151920192519301935194019451950195519601965197019751980198519901995200020052010201520202025
    GirlsBoys
    21,801
    babies named Porter since 1880
    #560
    rank in 2025
    2015
    peak year

    US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.

    Porter in other languages

    Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary

    波特
    Bōtè
    Chinese

    Spelled Porter in French and Polish too.

    Famous people named Porter

    10 on Wikidata, most written-about first

    • Archer John Porter Martin
      British chemist (1910–2002)
    • Porter Robinson
      American DJ, singer and record producer (born 1992)
    • Porter Goss
      American politician and first Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, born 1938
    • Porter Wagoner
      American country singer (1927–2007)
    • Edward Porter Alexander
      Confederate Army general (1835-1910)
    • Porter Hall
      American actor (1888-1953)
    • Porter H. Dale
      American politician (1867–1933)
    • Porter J. McCumber
      American politician (1858–1933)
    • Nellie Melba
      Australian opera singer (1861–1931)
    • Brian Kemp
      American politician (born 1963)

    More English boys’ names

    All 216 names of English origin

    Questions

    What does the name Porter mean?
    Porter means “porter”, “doorman”, “door” in English.
    What is the origin of the name Porter?
    From Middle English Porter, from porter (“porter”), * From Old French portier (“doorman”), from porte (“door”) * From Old French portour (“bearer”), from porter (“to carry”)
    How popular is the name Porter?
    In 2024, 4 boys born in England and Wales were named Porter, ranking 4,270th. Its peak was 2018, with 10 births.
    Is Porter a boy's or a girl's name?
    Mostly a boy's name: 95% of the 21,801 US babies named Porter since 1880 were boys.
    When was Porter most popular?
    2015 in the United States, when 862 babies were named Porter, its highest rank at 377th.
    Is Porter also a surname?
    Yes. Porter is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.