# Porter (name)

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

## Surname
### A – F

* Adriana Porter (1857–1946), Canadian poet and alleged witch
* Albert G. Porter (1824–1897), US congressman from Indiana
* Alexander Porter (1785–1844), US senator from Louisiana
* Alice Hobbins Porter (1854-1926), British-born US journalist, editor
* Alisan Porter (born 1981), retired actress, singer-songwriter, and winner of NBC's The Voice season 10
* Andrew Porter (Civil War general) (1820–1872), Union general in the American Civil War
* Andrew Porter (Revolutionary War officer) (1743–1813), American officer in the Revolutionary War
* Andy Porter (footballer, born 1968), English footballer
* Anna Porter, Canadian publisher and novelist
* Anna Maria Porter (1780–1832), English poet and novelist
* Augustus Seymour Porter (1798–1872), US senator from Michigan
* Austin Porter (born 1997), American singer from boy band PrettyMuch
* Bill Porter (1931-2010), famous American audio engineer
* Chana Porter, American playwright, novelist, and education activist
* Charles Ethan Porter (c. 1847–1923), African-American still-life painter
* Charles H. Porter (Virginia politician) (1833–1897), US congressman from Virginia
* Charles O. Porter (1919–2006), US congressman from Oregon
* Chilla Porter (1936–2020), Australian high jumper
* Chris Porter (disambiguation), multiple people
* Christian Porter (born 1970), Australian politician
* Cole Porter (1891–1964), American composer
* Dana Porter (1901–1967), Canadian politician and jurist
* Darien Porter (born 2001), American football player
* Darrell Porter (1952–2002), American baseball player
* David Porter (disambiguation), multiple people
* Dawn Porter (born 1979), British television presenter and writer
* Denaun Porter (born 1978), American rapper and record producer
* Dorothy Porter (1954–2008), Australian poet
* Edward Guss Porter (1859–1929), Canadian politician
* Edwin Stanton Porter (1870–1941), American filmmaker
* Eleanor H. Porter (1868–1920), author of children's literature
* Elias Porter (1914–1987), American psychologist
* Eliot Porter (1901–1990), American photographer
* Endymion Porter (1587–1649), English royalist
* Eric Porter (1928–1995), English actor
* Esther Porter (1900–1935), Ukrainian-Argentine anarchist
* Fairfield Porter (1907–1975), American painter and art critic
* Fitz John Porter (1822–1901), Union general in the American Civil War
* Fred L. Porter (1877–1938), New York politician

### G – L

* Gail Porter (born 1971), British television presenter
* Galen Porter (1807–1883), New York police captain
* Garth Porter (born 1948), Australian musician
* George Porter Jr. (born 1947), American musician
* George Bryan Porter (1791–1834), governor of Michigan Territory
* George R. Porter (1792–1852), British statistician of the nineteenth century
* Gilchrist Porter (1817–1894), US congressman from Missouri
* Gladys Porter (1894–1967), Canadian politician
* Graeme Porter (born 1955), Australian cricketer
* Gregory Porter (born 1971), American jazz vocalist
* Henry Porter (disambiguation), multiple people
* Howard Porter (1948–2007), American professional basketball player
* Howard Porter, American comic book artist
* 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
* Hugh Porter (Wisconsin politician) (1843–1936), American politician in Wisconsin
* H. V. Porter (died 1975), American educator and athletic administrator
* Jamie Porter (born 1993), English cricketer
* James Porter (disambiguation), multiple people
* Jane Porter (1776–1850), Scottish novelist and dramatist
* Janet Porter (born 1962), American conservative activist
* Jay Porter (1933–2020), American baseball player
* Jean Porter (1922–2018), American actress and writer
* Jeff Porter (born 1985), American track and field athlete
* Jeff Porter (politician), American politician from Missouri
* Jerry Porter (American football) (born 1978)
* Jim Porter (born 1949), Australian rugby league footballer
* Joel Porter (born 1978), Australian footballer
* Joey Porter (born 1977), American football player
* Joey Porter Jr. (born 2000), American football player
* John Porter (disambiguation), multiple people
* Johnathan Porter (born 1997), American rapper known professionally as Blueface
* Jon Porter (born 1955), American politician
* Jontay Porter (born 1999), American basketball player (also brother of Michael Porter Jr.)
* Jorgie Porter (born 1987), British actress
* Julio Porter (1916–1979), Argentine screenwriter and film director
* Kalan Porter (born 1985), Canadian singer
* Katherine Anne Porter (1890–1980), American writer
* Katie Porter, (born 1974), American Congresswoman from California
* Keshia Pollack Porter, American injury epidemiologist
* Keith R. Porter (1912–1997), American cell biologist
* Kevin Porter (basketball, born 1950) (born 1950), American basketball player
* Kevin Porter Jr. (born 2000), American basketball player
* Kim Porter (1970–2018), American model and actress
* King G. Porter (1921–2012), American politician
* Kris Porter (born 1978), Canadian ice hockey player
* Kris Porter (basketball) (born 1994), Filipino basketball player
* Kyle Porter (born 1990), Canadian soccer player
* LePreston Porter (1985–2022), American rapper and singer better known professionally as Snootie Wild
* Lewis Porter (born 1951), author, music professor at Rutgers
* Liliana Porter (born 1941), Argentine artist
* Linda Porter (disambiguation)
* Lucy Porter (born 1973), English actress and comedian
* Lucy Wallace Porter (1876–1962), American photographer

### M – Z

* Mason Porter (born 1976), American mathematician and professor at UCLA
* Michael Porter (born 1947), American strategic management academic and co-founder of the Monitor Group
* Michael Porter Jr. (born 1998), American basketball player (no relation to the academic)
* Montel Vontavious Porter (born 1973), ring name of American professional wrestler Hassan Assad
* Monty Porter (born 1965), Australian rugby league footballer
* Neal Porter, American children's book editor and publisher
* Nelson D. Porter (1863–1961), mayor of Ottawa, Canada
* Noah Porter (1811–1892), American educator and philosopher
* Nyree Dawn Porter, New Zealand-born actress
* Ora F. Porter (1879–1970), American nurse
* Otto Porter (born 1993), American professional basketball player
* Pat Porter (1959–2012), American long-distance runner and Olympian
* Peter Porter (poet) (1929–2010), Australian-born British poet
* Peter A. Porter (1853–1925), US congressman from New York
* Peter A. Porter (colonel) (1827–1864), Union Army colonel in the American Civil War
* Peter Buell Porter (1773–1844), US Secretary of War and congressman from New York
* Pleasant Porter (1840–1907), American Indian statesman and Principal Chief of the Creek Nation
* Quincy Porter (1897–1966), American composer
* Quinton Porter (born 1982), American football player
* Ray Porter, American actor
* Rebecca N. Porter (1883-1963), American author
* Robert Porter (disambiguation), multiple people
* Rodney Robert Porter (1917–1985), British biochemist
* Rose Porter (1845–1906), American novelist
* Rose Porter (McDowall) (born 1959), Scottish musician from gothic pop band Strawberry Switchblade
* Roy Porter (1946–2002), historian of medicine
* Rufus Porter (1792–1884), American painter, inventor, and founder of Scientific American magazine
* Rufus Porter (American football) (born 1965), former professional American football linebacker in the National Football League
* Russell W. Porter (1871–1949), American co-founder of the Amateur Telescope Makers movement
* Scott Porter (born 1979), American actor
* Shirley Porter (born 1930), British politician
* Silas Wright Porter (1857–1937), Associate Justice of the Kansas Supreme Court
* Stephen Geyer Porter (1869–1930), US congressman from Pennsylvania
* Susie Porter (born 1970 or 1971), Australian television and film actress
* Sylvia Porter (1913–1991), American financial columnist
* Terry Porter (born 1963), American professional basketball player and coach
* Theodore M. Porter (born 1954), American historian of science
* Thomas Conrad Porter (1822–1901), American botanist and theologian
* Timothy H. Porter (1785–1845), US congressman from New York
* Todd Porter (disambiguation), multiple people
* Tony Porter (born 1952), British Bishop of Sherwood
* Tracy Porter (born 1986), American professional football player
* Una Porter (1900-1996), Australian psychiatrist and philanthropist
* Whitworth Porter (1827–1892), an English Major General.
* William A. Porter (1928–2015), American founder of E*Trade financial services company
* William Sydney Porter (1862–1910), the writer O. Henry
* William T. Porter (1809–1858), American newspaper journalist and editor
* William Townsend Porter (1862–1949), American physician, physiologist, and medical educator
* Willy Porter, contemporary American folk musician

## Given name

* Porter Blanchard (1886–1973), American silversmith
* Porter Cottrell (born 1962), American bodybuilder
* Porter H. Dale (1867–1933), US congressman and senator from Vermont
* Porter Goss (born 1938), CIA director and US congressman from Florida
* Porter Gustin (born 1997), American football player
* Porter Hall (1888–1953), American film and stage actor
* Porter King (1857–1901), American politician from Alabama and Georgia
* Porter Lainhart (1907–1991), American football player
* Porter J. McCumber (1858–1933), US senator from North Dakota
* Porter Moser (born 1968), American basketball coach
* Porter Robinson (born 1992), American producer and DJ
* Porter Rockwell (1813 or 1815–1878), American gunfighter, deputy United States Marshal and Mormon leadership bodyguard
* Porter Wagoner (1927–2007), American country music singer