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Portales Family History

Portales Surname Meaning

Spanish, Galician, and Portuguese: from the plural of portal ‘gate’ (see Portal).

Either as a topographic name or a habitational name from a place called Portales.

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


Similar surnames: 

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Portales family from?

You can see how Portales families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Portales family name was found in the USA, Canada, and Scotland between 1861 and 1920. The most Portales families were found in USA in 1920. In 1911 there were 5 Portales families living in Nova Scotia. This was 100% of all the recorded Portales's in Canada. Nova Scotia had the highest population of Portales families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Portales surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Portales ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Housework were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Portales. 60% of Portales men worked as a Laborer and 50% of Portales women worked as a Housework. Some less common occupations for Americans named Portales were Farmer and Laborer.

View Census Data for Portales | 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

  • Laborer
    60%
  • Farmer
    40%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housework
    50%
  • Laborer
    50%

What Portales family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 806 census records available for the last name Portales. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Portales census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Portales

Passenger Lists

There are 767 immigration records available for the last name Portales. 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 Portales immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 124 military records available for the last name Portales. For the veterans among your Portales ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Portales military records

You've only scratched the surface of Portales family history

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What is the average Portales lifespan?

Between 1946 and 2004, in the United States, Portales life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1974, and highest in 1984. The average life expectancy for Portales in 1946 was 57, and 77 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Portales

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Portales ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Portales family tree

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