Boy name · English
Porter
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: gatekeeperPorter is a boy's name that comes from English and means "gatekeeper". It is used in English.
- Meaning
- Gatekeeper
- Origin
- English
- Gender
- Boy
- US rank
- #560 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Porter
As a boy's name, Porter comes from English and means "gatekeeper". It is used in English.
Porter is also a surname: the 165th most common in the 2020 US Census, held by 156,720 people. See the most common last names.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Porter on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Porter on 3 lists.
“Wagoner wore the flashiest rhinestone suits on the Opry”
From Redneck names for boys, country music inspired boy names
“Gatekeeper; English. Trade surname with a gentle sound”
From Boy middle names, surname middle names for boys
“A gatekeeper, or a carrier of loads”
From Cool last names, cool occupational last names
How popular is Porter?
- US rank in 2025
- #560
- 531 babies, 311 per million boys
- Best rank
- #275 in 1880
- Most babies: 862 in 2015
- Babies since 1880
- At least 20,808
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 250 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 236 per million |
| 1900s | 204 per million |
| 1910s | 134 per million |
| 1920s | 89 per million |
| 1930s | 62 per million |
| 1940s | 38 per million |
| 1950s | 23 per million |
| 1960s | 17 per million |
| 1970s | 15 per million |
| 1980s | 14 per million |
| 1990s | 37 per million |
| 2000s | 201 per million |
| 2010s | 386 per million |
| 2020s | 347 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #419 | #399 | #419 | #478 | #424 | #443 | #506 | #500 | #618 | #560 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Names spelled like Porter
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
Middle names for Porter
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a shorter length, so the full name flows.
More boy names from English
- AinsleyFrom a place named for a solitary or hermitage clearing (English, unisex)
- ArmstrongStrong in the arm (English, boy)
- JacksonFrom a surname meaning son of Jack (English, boy)
- ScottFrom Scotland (English, boy)
- AceFrom the English word ace, highest rank (English, boy)
- AdairFrom a surname derived from Edgar (English, unisex)
- AndersonSon of Andrew (English, boy)
- ArloMeaning uncertain; perhaps from Spenser's Arlo Hill (English, boy)
- AyrtonSettlement on the River Aire (English, boy)
- BayA sheltered curve of coast (English, unisex)
Porter: common questions
What does the name Porter mean?
Porter comes from English and means "gatekeeper".
Is Porter a boy or girl name?
Porter is mainly a boy's name. In 2025, 68 girls and 531 boys in the US were named Porter, according to Social Security Administration data.
Where does the name Porter come from?
Porter comes from English and means "gatekeeper". Today it is used in English.
How popular is the name Porter?
Porter ranked #560 in the US in 2025, with 531 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What names are similar to Porter?
Names spelled like Porter include Peter, Parker and Pieter.
What middle names go with Porter?
Middle names that flow well with Porter include Elton, Heath, Hugh, Lance and Lee. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.