Porter
Porter is given to both girls and boys: 68 girls and 531 boys were given it in 2025 (#2,578 among girls’ names and #560 among boys’, #1,010 among all names counting both); 21,801 Americans have been recorded with it since 1880 (Social Security Administration, published May 2026).
An estimated 17,800 Americans named Porter and born in the U.S. are alive in 2026 (82% of everyone recorded); the median is 12 years old and half are between 7 and 19.
Girls and boys together; gaps are years SSA did not record (fewer than 5 births).
Births of Porter by year: SSA national baby-name file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
What does Porter mean?
Wiktionary, English section
Porter is “a unisex given name.” Its etymology gives the sense “porter” (porter).
From Middle English Porter, from porter (“porter”),
From Old French portier (“doorman”), from porte (“door”)
From Old French portour (“bearer”), from porter (“to carry”)
Meaning: Wiktionary, English section, as of Sep 25, 2026 (CC BY‑SA 4.0).
How popular is Porter?
#560 among boys’ names, 2025
Porter fell from #377 in 2015 to #560 in 2025 among boys’ names; its share of boys born fell from 0.45 to 0.31 per 1,000.
921 babies in 2015, the peak
Porter peaked in 2015, when 921 babies were given it (862 boys, #377 among boys’ names). The 599 births of 2025 (girls and boys) are 65% of that peak.
Births by sex.
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 boys |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 531 | #560 | 0.31 |
| 2024 | 464 | #618 | 0.27 |
| 2023 | 605 | #500 | 0.35 |
| 2022 | 592 | #506 | 0.34 |
| 2021 | 698 | #443 | 0.40 |
| 2020 | 707 | #424 | 0.41 |
| 2019 | 613 | #478 | 0.34 |
| 2018 | 749 | #419 | 0.41 |
| 2017 | 802 | #399 | 0.43 |
| 2016 | 749 | #419 | 0.39 |
Every recorded year (146)
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 boys |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 862 | #377 | 0.45 |
| 2014 | 857 | #368 | 0.45 |
| 2013 | 778 | #384 | 0.41 |
| 2012 | 644 | #430 | 0.34 |
| 2011 | 602 | #450 | 0.32 |
| 2010 | 602 | #447 | 0.31 |
| 2009 | 578 | #474 | 0.29 |
| 2008 | 574 | #483 | 0.28 |
| 2007 | 566 | #474 | 0.27 |
| 2006 | 553 | #479 | 0.27 |
| 2005 | 405 | #576 | 0.20 |
| 2004 | 336 | #631 | 0.17 |
| 2003 | 314 | #646 | 0.16 |
| 2002 | 265 | #687 | 0.14 |
| 2001 | 225 | #764 | 0.12 |
| 2000 | 201 | #801 | 0.10 |
| 1999 | 176 | #860 | 0.09 |
| 1998 | 103 | #1,198 | 0.05 |
| 1997 | 80 | #1,380 | 0.04 |
| 1996 | 71 | #1,451 | 0.04 |
| 1995 | 65 | #1,483 | 0.03 |
| 1994 | 66 | #1,460 | 0.03 |
| 1993 | 49 | #1,757 | 0.02 |
| 1992 | 37 | #2,114 | 0.02 |
| 1991 | 37 | #2,035 | 0.02 |
| 1990 | 36 | #2,069 | 0.02 |
| 1989 | 27 | #2,448 | 0.01 |
| 1988 | 25 | #2,414 | 0.01 |
| 1987 | 25 | #2,312 | 0.01 |
| 1986 | 26 | #2,207 | 0.01 |
| 1985 | 31 | #1,906 | 0.02 |
| 1984 | 24 | #2,218 | 0.01 |
| 1983 | 31 | #1,804 | 0.02 |
| 1982 | 27 | #2,044 | 0.01 |
| 1981 | 22 | #2,315 | 0.01 |
| 1980 | 19 | #2,595 | 0.01 |
| 1979 | 15 | #2,986 | 0.01 |
| 1978 | 19 | #2,453 | 0.01 |
| 1977 | 32 | #1,698 | 0.02 |
| 1976 | 16 | #2,678 | 0.01 |
| 1975 | 23 | #2,047 | 0.01 |
| 1974 | 21 | #2,099 | 0.01 |
| 1973 | 21 | #2,017 | 0.01 |
| 1972 | 31 | #1,555 | 0.02 |
| 1971 | 33 | #1,517 | 0.02 |
| 1970 | 30 | #1,570 | 0.02 |
| 1969 | 34 | #1,392 | 0.02 |
| 1968 | 31 | #1,418 | 0.02 |
| 1967 | 22 | #1,698 | 0.01 |
| 1966 | 38 | #1,230 | 0.02 |
| 1965 | 37 | #1,266 | 0.02 |
| 1964 | 37 | #1,306 | 0.02 |
| 1963 | 42 | #1,210 | 0.02 |
| 1962 | 27 | #1,535 | 0.01 |
| 1961 | 36 | #1,344 | 0.02 |
| 1960 | 29 | #1,515 | 0.01 |
| 1959 | 36 | #1,314 | 0.02 |
| 1958 | 38 | #1,260 | 0.02 |
| 1957 | 46 | #1,146 | 0.02 |
| 1956 | 53 | #1,039 | 0.03 |
| 1955 | 61 | #963 | 0.03 |
| 1954 | 43 | #1,146 | 0.02 |
| 1953 | 44 | #1,116 | 0.02 |
| 1952 | 50 | #1,019 | 0.03 |
| 1951 | 48 | #1,034 | 0.03 |
| 1950 | 54 | #943 | 0.03 |
| 1949 | 62 | #876 | 0.03 |
| 1948 | 46 | #1,042 | 0.03 |
| 1947 | 59 | #912 | 0.03 |
| 1946 | 53 | #920 | 0.03 |
| 1945 | 40 | #1,013 | 0.03 |
| 1944 | 42 | #1,015 | 0.03 |
| 1943 | 66 | #813 | 0.05 |
| 1942 | 73 | #752 | 0.05 |
| 1941 | 57 | #844 | 0.05 |
| 1940 | 61 | #798 | 0.05 |
| 1939 | 57 | #809 | 0.05 |
| 1938 | 70 | #735 | 0.06 |
| 1937 | 65 | #763 | 0.06 |
| 1936 | 58 | #809 | 0.06 |
| 1935 | 51 | #891 | 0.05 |
| 1934 | 59 | #819 | 0.06 |
| 1933 | 69 | #738 | 0.07 |
| 1932 | 74 | #725 | 0.07 |
| 1931 | 74 | #708 | 0.07 |
| 1930 | 78 | #707 | 0.07 |
| 1929 | 84 | #672 | 0.08 |
| 1928 | 107 | #599 | 0.10 |
| 1927 | 81 | #723 | 0.07 |
| 1926 | 76 | #735 | 0.07 |
| 1925 | 102 | #625 | 0.09 |
| 1924 | 104 | #632 | 0.09 |
| 1923 | 88 | #691 | 0.08 |
| 1922 | 101 | #645 | 0.09 |
| 1921 | 119 | #582 | 0.11 |
| 1920 | 120 | #571 | 0.11 |
| 1919 | 114 | #561 | 0.12 |
| 1918 | 115 | #566 | 0.11 |
| 1917 | 108 | #569 | 0.12 |
| 1916 | 131 | #498 | 0.15 |
| 1915 | 103 | #556 | 0.12 |
| 1914 | 97 | #499 | 0.15 |
| 1913 | 76 | #500 | 0.15 |
| 1912 | 68 | #479 | 0.16 |
| 1911 | 44 | #443 | 0.19 |
| 1910 | 40 | #437 | 0.21 |
| 1909 | 26 | #515 | 0.16 |
| 1908 | 31 | #436 | 0.20 |
| 1907 | 29 | #434 | 0.20 |
| 1906 | 24 | #462 | 0.18 |
| 1905 | 35 | #354 | 0.26 |
| 1904 | 27 | #406 | 0.21 |
| 1903 | 22 | #445 | 0.18 |
| 1902 | 33 | #346 | 0.27 |
| 1901 | 25 | #377 | 0.23 |
| 1900 | 25 | #465 | 0.17 |
| 1899 | 25 | #372 | 0.24 |
| 1898 | 34 | #333 | 0.28 |
| 1897 | 27 | #365 | 0.24 |
| 1896 | 26 | #384 | 0.22 |
| 1895 | 25 | #388 | 0.21 |
| 1894 | 26 | #363 | 0.22 |
| 1893 | 25 | #365 | 0.22 |
| 1892 | 35 | #316 | 0.29 |
| 1891 | 20 | #393 | 0.20 |
| 1890 | 26 | #349 | 0.23 |
| 1889 | 20 | #414 | 0.18 |
| 1888 | 37 | #295 | 0.31 |
| 1887 | 14 | #479 | 0.14 |
| 1886 | 24 | #356 | 0.22 |
| 1885 | 36 | #281 | 0.33 |
| 1884 | 22 | #383 | 0.19 |
| 1883 | 23 | #354 | 0.22 |
| 1882 | 28 | #329 | 0.25 |
| 1881 | 32 | #284 | 0.32 |
| 1880 | 38 | #275 | 0.34 |
Ranks and shares: boys’ names in each year’s SSA file; share of all boys SSA recorded that year.
Is Porter a boy’s or a girl’s name?
Of the 21,801 Americans recorded as Porter, 5% are girls and 95% boys.
Years with fewer than 20 babies given the name are left blank.
Girls and boys named Porter: the SSA national file counts each sex separately.
How many people are named Porter, and how old are they?
17,800 alive in 2026, estimated
That is 82% of the 21,801 Americans ever recorded as Porter. The median Porter alive today is 12 years old; half are between 7 and 19.
The 2020 Census counted 13,714 people named Porter (678 women and girls, 13,036 men and boys). SSA’s births carried forward to Census day, April 1, 2020, predict 14,292 born in the U.S. The Census count is 4% below that prediction.
Alive today, by age
Alive today, by generation
| Generation | Born | Alive |
|---|---|---|
| Silent Generation | 1928-1945 | 203 |
| Baby Boomers | 1946-1964 | 562 |
| Generation X | 1965-1980 | 370 |
| Millennials | 1981-1996 | 590 |
| Generation Z | 1997-2012 | 6,350 |
| Generation Alpha | 2013-2025 | 9,690 |
An estimate, not a count. SSA’s files count people born in the United States who received a Social Security number, so anyone born abroad is not in them; before 1937 most people got a number as adults, and their survival is counted from that age.
Living estimate: SSA births carried forward with the survival rates in SSA’s cohort life tables (2024 Trustees Report) for each birth year and sex. How the estimate is made. Count: Census Bureau, first names in the 2020 Census (released April 14, 2026; names reported 100 or more times, with the Bureau’s disclosure-avoidance adjustment).
Where are babies named Porter born?
The states with the most babies named Porter are Texas, Tennessee and California, with 22% of its births recorded by state in 2025; Tennessee is not among the ten states with the most births.
| State | Births 2025 | Rank, boys | vs. national |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 53 | #658 | 0.6× |
| Tennessee | 32 | #281 | 1.6× |
| California | 31 | #927 | 0.4× |
| Utah | 28 | #197 | 7.1× |
| Florida | 28 | #721 | 0.4× |
| Ohio | 27 | #407 | 0.5× |
| North Carolina | 22 | #584 | 1.0× |
| Minnesota | 22 | #285 | 1.0× |
| Michigan | 20 | #436 | 0.6× |
| Georgia | 19 | #560 | 0.8× |
Where Porter is more common than its national share predicts
Relative to its national share, Porter is most over-represented in Utah: since 1910 it was given 7.1 times as often there as its national share each year would predict.
States: SSA state file, 1910-2025, published May 8, 2026; births count girls and boys together, and the rank is among boys’ names in the state in 2025. The file leaves out any state and year with fewer than 5 babies of the name, so small states are undercounted; each ratio compares the state’s births of Porter with the births its national share predicts year by year, for states with at least 100 births of the name.
Names that rose and fell in the same decades as Porter
Names whose births rose and fell across the same decades, measured on each decade’s share of births.
Similar histories: each decade’s share of births, from the SSA national file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
More about Porter and names like it
- Compare Porter and AndersonBirths, ranks, peak and the living estimate side by side.
- The most given names of the 2010sPorter peaked in 2015.
- Utah’s most given namesThe state where SSA recorded the most babies named Porter since 1910.
- The top names of 2015The year the most babies were named Porter.
- The names of Generation AlphaMost people named Porter alive today were born 2013-2025.
- Names starting with PMost given first.