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There are approximately 2,945 people named Porteous in the UK. That makes it the 3,319th most common surname overall. Out of every million people in the UK, approximately 47 are named Porteous.

Region of origin

British Isles

Country of origin

Scotland

Language of origin

Gaelic

Religion of origin

Christian

Classification

Celtic
Occupational Name

Related and similar surnames

Portas
Portee
Porte
Porteious
Portaeus
Perteous
Parteous
Peorteous
Porteas
Portees
Poriteous
Poerteous
Porteaus
Porteeus
Parteo
Portais
Parteis
Perteas
Portaus
Porets
Poartus
Perteus
Pertous

The Porteous surname in historical dictionaries

Patronymica Britannica (1860)

PORTEUS. PORTEOUS. 1. A porteus is a Roman breviar)', or priest's officebook. The surname may be classed with Crucifix, Pix, &c. 2. In Scotland, a porteous is a " list of iersons indicted to appear before the Justiciary ;" and portuous roll is a phrase still used to denote the list of criminal causes to be tried at the circuit courts. Jamieson. Hence the name may have originated from some office connected with such courts. The family of this name boast, that they have been seated at Hawkshaw, in Peebles-shire, a whole Millennium !

Lower, Mark A (1860) Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom. London: J.R. Smith. Public Domain.

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