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Portela Family History

Portela Surname Meaning

Portuguese and Galician: habitational name from any of numerous places called Portela from portela ‘passageway gateway’.

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


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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Portela family from?

You can see how Portela families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Portela family name was found in the USA, the UK, and Canada between 1891 and 1920. The most Portela families were found in USA in 1920. In 1911 there were 5 Portela families living in Ontario. This was 100% of all the recorded Portela's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Portela families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Portela 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 Portela ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer was the top reported job for people in the USA named Portela. 40% of Portela men worked as a Laborer.

View Census Data for Portela | 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
    40%
  • Farm Laborer
    20%
  • Carpenter
    20%
  • Bus Boy
    20%

What Portela family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 2,000 census records available for the last name Portela. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Portela census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Portela

Passenger Lists

There are 4,000 immigration records available for the last name Portela. 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 Portela immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 197 military records available for the last name Portela. For the veterans among your Portela ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Portela military records

You've only scratched the surface of Portela family history

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What is the average Portela lifespan?

Between 1965 and 2004, in the United States, Portela life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1989, and highest in 1970. The average life expectancy for Portela in 1965 was 84, and 77 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Portela

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Portela 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 Portela family tree

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