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Portner Family History

Portner Surname Meaning

German (also Pörtner): occupational name for the gatekeeper of a walled town or city or the doorkeeper in a great house, castle, or monastery.

It is derived from the Middle High German portenære and Middle Low German port(e)ner.

This surname reflects the important role of gatekeepers in maintaining the security and access of significant buildings and towns.

Comparative names include Poertner and Porter.

These variations highlight the regional adaptations and linguistic influences on the name over time.

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 Portner family from?

You can see how Portner families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Portner family name was found in the USA, the UK, and Canada between 1840 and 1920. The most Portner families were found in USA in 1920. In 1911 there were 4 Portner families living in Ontario. This was about 50% of all the recorded Portner's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Portner families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Portner 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 Portner ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Salesman and Housewife were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Portner. 20% of Portner men worked as a Salesman and 18% of Portner women worked as a Housewife. Some less common occupations for Americans named Portner were Carpenter and Bookkeeper.

View Census Data for Portner | 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
    20%
  • Farmer
    15%
  • Laborer
    11%
  • Carpenter
    8%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housewife
    18%
  • Stenographer
    15%
  • Laundress
    11%
  • Bookkeeper
    11%

What Portner family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 4,000 census records available for the last name Portner. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Portner census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Portner

Passenger Lists

There are 1,000 immigration records available for the last name Portner. 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 Portner immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 2,000 military records available for the last name Portner. For the veterans among your Portner ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Portner military records

You've only scratched the surface of Portner family history

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What is the average Portner lifespan?

Between 1954 and 2004, in the United States, Portner life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1981, and highest in 2002. The average life expectancy for Portner in 1954 was 61, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Portner

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

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