Porter

At a Glance: Name: Porter – Meaning: one who carries goods, or a doorkeeper/gatekeeper – Origin: Old French (occupational surname) – Gender: Neutral – Pronunciation: POR-ter

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Porter is a unisex name rooted in an Old French occupational surname, originally used for someone who carried goods or kept watch at a gate as a doorkeeper. It's pronounced POR-ter. For a parent weighing it, that's a name grounded in a real job rather than an abstract idea.

Meaning & Origin of Porter

Meaning: One who carries goods, or a doorkeeper/gatekeeper.

Origin: Old French (occupational surname).

Source: Wiktionary.

How to Pronounce Porter

Phonetic: POR-ter   IPA: /ˈpɔːrtər/

Popularity of Porter

SSA records stretch back to 1880, and that's actually when Porter hit its peak rank of #275, with 38 babies given the name that year. By 2024, it ranked #615, with 463 babies given the name.

Source: U.S. Social Security Administration birth-name data, 1880–2024.

Make Porter Name Art

Free printable nursery art for Porter, pre-loaded below — pick a layout, palette, and font, then download a print-ready PNG.

Names With a Similar Story

Derived from shared style, era, and origin data (or, for names we have no style data for, a similar Social Security popularity trajectory) — not a hand-picked list.

• Adley
• Amory
• Arden
• Arlowe
• Arrow
• Ash

FAQ

What does the name Porter mean?

One who carries goods, or a doorkeeper/gatekeeper. (Source: Wiktionary, https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Porter)

How do you pronounce Porter?

Porter is pronounced POR-ter (IPA: /ˈpɔːrtər/).

Is Porter a popular name right now?

Porter peaked at #275 in 1880 and is ranked #615 as of 2024. (U.S. Social Security Administration data, 1880–2024.)

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