Porter (name)

This article is about the given name and surname Porter. For other uses, see Porter.

Porter

Origin
Word/name	Old French
Meaning	"gatekeeper"
Region of origin	England

Porter (\p(o)-rter\) is a common English surname and also a given name. The name originates as an Old French occupational name, portier (gatekeeper; doorkeeper), or porteour ("to carry"). Its earliest public record is 1086 at Winchester Castle. With transferred use, Porter also became a masculine given name with varied popularity. According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Porter ranked #433 in 1907, declined to #1002 in 1944, then rebounded to #476 in 2006. People with the name include:

Surname

A – F

• Adriana Porter (1857–1946), Canadian poet and alleged witch
• Albert Gallatin Porter (1824–1897), US Congressman from Indiana
• Alexander Porter (1785–1844), US Senator from Louisiana
• Andrew Porter (Civil War general), Union general in the American Civil War
• Andrew Porter (Revolutionary War general), American general in the Revolutionary War
• Andy Porter (b.1968), English footballer
• Anna Porter, Canadian publisher and novelist
• Augustus S. Porter (1798–1872), US Senator from Michigan
• Cat Porter (born 1979), English model and television presenter
• Charles Ethan Porter (ca. 1847–1923), African American still life painter
• Charles Howell Porter (1833–1897), US Congressman from Virginia
• Charles O. Porter (1919–2006), US Congressman from Oregon
• Chris Porter (born 1983), English footballer, currently playing with Motherwell FC
• Cole Porter (1891–1964), American composer
• Dana Porter (1901–1967), Canadian politician and jurist
• Darrell Porter (1952–2002), American baseball player
• David Porter (1780–1843), American diplomat and sailor
• David Rittenhouse Porter (1788–1867), Governor of Pennsylvania
• Dawn Porter (born 1979), British television presenter and writer
• Dorothy Porter (1954–2008), Australian poet
• Edward Guss Porter (1859–1929), Canadian politician
• Edwin S. Porter (1870–1941), American filmmaker
• Eleanor H. Porter (1868–1920), author of children's literature
• Eliot Porter (1901–1990), American photographer
• Endymion Porter (1587–1649), English royalist
• Eric Porter (1928–1995), English actor
• Fairfield Porter (1907–1975), an American painter and art critic
• Fitz John Porter (1822–1901), Union general in the American Civil War

G – L

• Gail Porter (born 1971), British television presenter
• Galen T. Porter (1807 - 1883), New York Police Captain
• George Bryan Porter (1791–1834), Governor of Michigan Territory
• Gilchrist Porter (1817–1894), US Congressman from Missouri
• Gladys Porter (1894–1967), Canadian politician
• Graeme Porter (born 1955), Australian cricketer
• Henry Kirke Porter, American industrialist and Congressman from Pennsylvania
• Horace Porter (1837–1921), Union general in the American Civil War and president of the Pullman Palace Car Company
• Hugh Porter (born 1940), British cyclist and sports commentator
• James Porter (several)
• Jerry Porter (football player) (born 1978), American football player
• Jim Porter, Australian rugby league footballer
• Joel Porter (born 1978), Australian footballer
• Big Joe Porter (born 1996), Backyard Wrestler,Joe-amator, has a funny name
• Joey Porter (born 1977), American football player
• John Porter (politician), US Congressman from Pennsylvania
• John Porter (sociologist) (1921–1979), Canadian sociologist
• John Addison Porter, American Professor of Chemistry
• John Clinton Porter (ca. 1871–1959), Mayor of Los Angeles, California
• John Edward Porter (born 1935), US Congressman from Illinois
• John K. Porter (1819-1892), New York judge
• Jon Porter (born 1955), US Congressman from Nevada
• Josh Porter (born 1990), Mayor of Pottstown
• Kalan Porter (born 1985), Canadian singer
• Katherine Anne Porter (1890–1980), American writer
• Keith R. Porter (1912–1997), American cell biologist
• Lewis Porter, author, music professor at The New Jersey State University

M – Z

• Michael Porter (born 1947), American strategic management academic and co-founder of the Monitor Group
• Montel Vontavious Porter (born 1973), American professional wrestler for World Wrestling Entertainment
• Nelson D. Porter (1863–1961), Mayor of Ottawa, Canada
• Noah Porter (1811–1892), American educator and philosopher
• Nyree Dawn Porter, New Zealand born actress
• Pat Porter (born 1959), American long-distance runner and Olympian
• Peter Porter (poet) (born 1929), Australian-born British poet
• Peter A. Porter (1853–1925), US Congressman from New York
• Peter Buell Porter (1773–1844), US Secretary of War and Congressman from New York
• Quincy Porter (1897–1966), American composer
• Quinton Porter (born 1982), American football player
• Robert Porter (1833–1901), Canadian politician
• Robert Harold Porter (born 1933), Canadian politician
• Rodney Robert Porter (1917–1985), Nobel prize-winning British biochemist
• Roy Porter (1946–2002), historian of medicine
• Rufus Porter (1792–1884), American painter, inventor, and founder of Scientific American magazine
• Russell W. Porter (1871–1949), American co-founder of the Amateur Telescope Makers movement
• Steven G. Porter (1869–1930), US Congressman from Pennsylvania
• Susie Porter is a Logie Award winning Australian television and film actress.
• Sylvia Field Porter (1913–1991), American financial columnist
• Timothy H. Porter (died 1840), US Congressman from New York
• Tony Porter (born 1952), British Bishop of Sherwood
• Sir William Porter, sergeant-at-arms to King Henry VII of England
• William A. Porter, American founder of E*Trade financial services company
• William James Porter (1914–1988), American diplomat
• William Sydney Porter (1862–1910), writer (pen name: O. Henry)
• Willy Porter, contemporary American folk musician

Given name

Porter

Pronunciation	pawr-ter
Gender	Male
Origin
Word/name	Old French
Meaning	"Gatekeeper"
Region of origin	England

• Porter Blanchard (1886–1973), American silversmith
• Porter Cottrell (born 1962), American bodybuilder
• Porter H. Dale (1867–1933), US congressman and senator from Vermont
• Porter J. Goss (born 1938), CIA director and US congressman from Florida
• Porter Hall (1888–1953), American film and stage actor
• Porter King (1857–1901), American politician from Alabama and Georgia
• Porter J. McCumber (1858–1933), US senator from North Dakota
• Porter Rockwell, American gunfighter, Deputy United States Marshal and Mormon leadership bodyguard
• Porter Wagoner, American country music singer

See also

All pages with titles containing Porter