Porter Name Meaning, Origin and Popularity
Porter is predominantly used for boys. The statistics below show this exact spelling in official U.S. records.
How Do You Spell Porter?
Porter is spelled P-O-R-T-E-R. The name has 6 letters.
Porter at a Glance
- Usage
- Predominantly used for boys
- Meaning
- Porter means “gatekeeper” or “doorkeeper,” coming from an occupational surname.
- Origin
- Porter is commonly associated with an English occupational surname originally referring to someone who carried burdens or served as a gatekeeper.
- Pronunciation
- POR-ter · 2 syllables
Porter Popularity in 2025
Rank#2,564
Recorded Births68
Rank#560
Recorded Births531
- Girls usage fell 130 places to #2,564 and recorded 6 fewer births compared with 2024.
- Boys usage rose 57 places to #560 and recorded 67 more births compared with 2024.
Figures reflect this exact spelling in the latest available U.S. Social Security Administration records. See the complete year-by-year trend.
What Does the Name Porter Mean?
Porter means “gatekeeper” or “doorkeeper,” coming from an occupational surname.
Origin: Porter is commonly associated with an English occupational surname originally referring to someone who carried burdens or served as a gatekeeper.
How Do You Pronounce Porter?
PronunciationPOR-ter
Syllables2
What Is the History of the Name Porter?
- History
- Porter has been used as a surname in medieval England referring to an occupational role of doorkeeper or carrier.
Porter Popularity by Year
The table below shows the most recent available records for this exact spelling from 2014 through 2025. Use the full history page to explore every recorded year.
| Year | Usage Category | Recorded Births | National Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Girls | 68 | #2,564 |
| 2025 | Boys | 531 | #560 |
| 2024 | Girls | 74 | #2,434 |
| 2024 | Boys | 464 | #617 |
| 2023 | Girls | 71 | #2,494 |
| 2023 | Boys | 605 | #499 |
| 2022 | Girls | 81 | #2,295 |
| 2022 | Boys | 592 | #506 |
| 2021 | Girls | 66 | #2,608 |
| 2021 | Boys | 698 | #443 |
| 2020 | Girls | 58 | #2,823 |
| 2020 | Boys | 707 | #424 |
| 2019 | Girls | 55 | #2,962 |
| 2019 | Boys | 613 | #478 |
| 2018 | Girls | 48 | #3,293 |
| 2018 | Boys | 749 | #418 |
| 2017 | Girls | 46 | #3,387 |
| 2017 | Boys | 802 | #398 |
| 2016 | Girls | 56 | #2,966 |
| 2016 | Boys | 749 | #419 |
| 2015 | Girls | 59 | #2,927 |
| 2015 | Boys | 862 | #375 |
| 2014 | Girls | 40 | #3,778 |
| 2014 | Boys | 857 | #368 |
When Was Porter Most Popular?
Peak years are based on the highest recorded birth totals for this exact spelling and usage category. They are ordered by birth count, not chronologically.
2015 · Boys
862 recorded births
National rank #375
2014 · Boys
857 recorded births
National rank #368
2017 · Boys
802 recorded births
National rank #398
2013 · Boys
778 recorded births
National rank #383
Where Porter Ranked Highest in 2025
State rankings are calculated separately for girls and boys within each state. The SSA omits state-level names recorded fewer than five times, so low visible counts can still represent a relatively high state rank.
Top States for Boys
| State | Rank | Recorded Births |
|---|---|---|
| ND | #191 | 6 |
| SD | #192 | 7 |
| UT | #193 | 28 |
| MT | #227 | 5 |
| TN | #273 | 32 |
| MN | #275 | 22 |
| WI | #300 | 19 |
| ID | #302 | 8 |