Total births
10,627
Girls' name · since 1882
Portia
Since 1882, U.S. Social Security records show 10,627 babies named Portia, peaking in 1989. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #5973
- among girls today
- 10,627
- born since 1882
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 66%
- more common than other girls
Portia currently ranks #5973 among girls' names in America, with 10,627 babies recorded since 1882.
Social Security Administration records show Portia recorded 10,627 times among girls since 1882, holding rank #5973 nationally today, ahead of 66% of girls, peaking in the 1980s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1882 to 2025.
- #5973 among girls today
- 10,627 born since 1882
- 1980s peak decade
- 66% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Portia is currently the #5973 girls' name in America, more common than 66% of girls - 10,627 born since 1882, peaking in the 1980s.
- #5973
- among girls today
- 10,627
- born since 1882
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 66%
- more common than other girls
Portia vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#5973
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 66% of names given to girls today.
1980s
Peak decade
18% of everyone ever named Portia was born in this single decade.
1989
Single peak year
259 babies were named Portia in 1989 - its busiest year on record.
How Portia compares
10,627 Top 9% higher than 91% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Portia's all-time total is 28x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Portia | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 10,627 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 259 | 48 | 19,840 |
Portia's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Portia splits its recorded history at 1958: 65% of all births land in the more recent half, 35% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1882 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1989 peak of 259 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Portia at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1989
Current rank
#5,973
Active since
1882
Portia popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1882–2025
- Peak year (1989)
- 259
- Annual births at peak, across 144 years of records
Portia popularity over time - boys
8 total births recorded since 1989 (Portia as boys' name)
Portia by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1980s was Portia's strongest decade.
1,864 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 18% of all-time use.
Portia births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 18
1880s
18 births
- 1890s 52
1890s
52 births
- 1900s 105
1900s
105 births
- 1910s 283
1910s
283 births
- 1920s 373
1920s
373 births
- 1930s 272
1930s
272 births
- 1940s
1940s
1,327 births
- 1950s
1950s
1,545 births
- 1960s
1960s
1,324 births
- 1970s
1970s
1,056 births
- 1980s
1980s
1,864 births
- 1990s
1990s
1,190 births
- 2000s 712
2000s
712 births
- 2010s 421
2010s
421 births
- 2020s 85
2020s
85 births
What this shows Peak: 1980s at 1,864 births (18% of all-time use).
How Portia compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Portia's total volume
Portia vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Portia by state
Where Portia concentrates geographically, total births since 1882
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 728 | 6.9% |
| #2 | North Carolina | | 630 | 5.9% |
| #3 | Texas | | 504 | 4.7% |
| #4 | Georgia | | 444 | 4.2% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 443 | 4.2% |
| #6 | New York | | 439 | 4.1% |
| #7 | Ohio | | 314 | 3.0% |
| #8 | Alabama | | 291 | 2.7% |
California share of Portia's total US births 6.9%
Even split
728 of 10,627 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 30 reporting states.
Portia appears in 30 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Portia? ▼
Portia has been given to 10,627 babies in the U.S. since 1882, according to SSA data. Among girls, it ranks #5973 as of the latest data. 259 babies were born in 1989, its single highest year.
When was Portia most popular? ▼
Portia was most popular in the 1980s decade with 1,864 total births. The single peak year was 1989.
Where is Portia most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Portia are California (728 births), North Carolina (630 births), Texas (504 births).
How long has the name Portia been used? ▼
Records for Portia go back to 1882, giving 144 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Portia? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Porsha, Porsche, Porscha, Porter, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Portia's data
- Portia's decade-level peak was the 1980s (1,864 total births); usage has since declined to 85 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Portias (728 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Portia
Nearby Names Like Portia
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Portia
Porsha Girl
4,031 births
Porsche Girl
2,115 births
Porscha Girl
1,457 births
Porter Girl
#2443 993 births
Porcha Girl
865 births
Compare Portia side by side: Portia vs Porsha Portia vs Porsche Portia vs Porscha
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Portia
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1882–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Portia: #5973 Girls' Name - 10,627 Births, Peak 1989." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/portia. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Portia draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.