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Portney Family History

Portney Name Meaning

Altered form of Jewish Portnoy or North German Portner . The surname Portner is also found in France (mainly Lorraine).

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Fortney, Gortney, Portner, Portee, Forney, Porter, Torney, Horney

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Portney family from?

You can see how Portney families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Portney family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Portney families were found in USA in 1920. In 1911 there were 2 Portney families living in Northwest Territories. This was about 67% of all the recorded Portney's in Canada. Northwest Territories had the highest population of Portney families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Portney surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Portney ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Salesman and Stenographer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Portney. 24% of Portney men worked as a Salesman and 50% of Portney women worked as a Stenographer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Portney were Painter and Saleslady. .

View Census Data for Portney | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

United States shown, Canada data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Salesman
    24%
  • Farmer
    14%
  • Proprietor
    10%
  • Painter
    8%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Stenographer
    50%
  • Bookkeeper
    25%
  • Saleslady
    25%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Portney family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 1,000 census records available for the last name Portney. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Portney census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Portney

Passenger Lists

There are 425 immigration records available for the last name Portney. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Portney immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 167 military records available for the last name Portney. For the veterans among your Portney ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Portney military records

You've only scratched the surface of Portney family history

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What is the average Portney lifespan?

Between 1955 and 2004, in the United States, Portney life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1969, and highest in 2002. The average life expectancy for Portney in 1955 was 58, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Portney

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Portney family tree

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