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Porten Family History

Porten Surname Meaning

English: possibly a variant of Porton, a habitational name from Porton in Wiltshire or Poorton in Dorset; both placenames are formed with an obscure first element, perhaps the name of a river, + Old English tūn ‘settlement’.

North German: variant of Port (inflected form after an original preposition).

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


Similar surnames: 

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Where is the Porten family from?

You can see how Porten families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Porten family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Porten families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1911 there were 20 Porten families living in Ontario. This was about 54% of all the recorded Porten's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Porten families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Porten 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 Porten ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Bookkeeper were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Porten. 27% of Porten men worked as a Farmer and 12% of Porten women worked as a Bookkeeper. Some less common occupations for Americans named Porten were Clerk and Laundress.

View Census Data for Porten | 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

  • Farmer
    27%
  • Laborer
    22%
  • Salesman
    8%
  • Clerk
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Bookkeeper
    12%
  • Housekeeper
    12%
  • Maid
    8%
  • Laundress
    8%

What Porten family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 5,000 census records available for the last name Porten. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Porten census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Porten

Passenger Lists

There are 804 immigration records available for the last name Porten. 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 Porten immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 742 military records available for the last name Porten. For the veterans among your Porten ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Porten military records

You've only scratched the surface of Porten family history

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What is the average Porten lifespan?

Between 1963 and 2003, in the United States, Porten life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1982, and highest in 1974. The average life expectancy for Porten in 1963 was 74, and 84 in 2003.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Porten

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Porten 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.

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