The story behind 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”)
Pronunciation
US English (ARPAbet): P AO1 R T ER0
This is a US English dictionary reading of the spelling; personal pronunciations may differ. Digits mark stress: 0 is unstressed, 1 is primary, 2 is secondary. Pronunciation source and notation.
Popularity
Porter ranked #2578 in US for 2025.
Source: SSA national baby names
Names Similar to Porter
Palmer
From Middle English palmer (“a pilgrim from the Holy Land”), from Old French.
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 2 syllables
- Ending
- ends R
- same syllable count
- similar length
Artur
Borrowed from English Arthur, from the name of the legendary king, from Middle English Arthure, from Medieval Latin Arthurus, probably from Welsh arth, from Proto-Celtic *artos.
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 2 syllables
- Ending
- ends R
- same syllable count
- similar length
Baxter
From Middle English bakster, bakestre, from Old English bæcestre (“baker”), equivalent to bake + -ster.
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 2 syllables
- Ending
- ends R
- same syllable count
- similar length
Chester
From Middle English Chestre, from Old English Ċeaster, from ċeaster (“a town or city, especially a Roman one”). The village in Nova Scotia is likely named after the city in…
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 2 syllables
- Ending
- ends R
- same syllable count
- similar length
Turner
From Middle English Turner, Turnur, Turnure, Turnour, from Middle English turner, turnare, tornere, an occupational surname for a turner or tumbler.
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 2 syllables
- Ending
- ends R
- same syllable count
- similar length
Tyler
From Middle English Tyler, Tylere, Tygler, Tygheler, Tyghelere, Tyghelare, Tygelere, from Middle English tiler, tylere, tylare, tylier (“tiler”).
- Gender
- mixed
- Syllables
- 2 syllables
- Ending
- ends R
- same syllable count
- similar length
Middle Names for Porter
Anderson
From Middle English Ander (“Andrew”) + -son, after Saint Andrew, patron saint of Scotland. In the United States, sometimes an anglicization of Danish and Norwegian Andersen or…
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 3 syllables
- Ending
- ends N
- balanced syllable contrast
- good length contrast
Asia
From Middle English Asia, Asie, from Old French Asie and Latin Asia, from Ancient Greek Ᾰ̓σῐ́ᾱ (Ăsĭ́ā), from Mycenaean Greek 𐀀𐀯𐀹𐀊 (a-si-wi-ja /aswijaː/), in turn probably…
- Gender
- feminine
- Syllables
- 2 syllables
- Ending
- ends A
- balanced syllable contrast
- good length contrast
Dale
Borrowed from English Dale.
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 1 syllable
- Ending
- ends E
- balanced syllable contrast
- good length contrast
Sibling Names for Porter
Anderson
From Middle English Ander (“Andrew”) + -son, after Saint Andrew, patron saint of Scotland. In the United States, sometimes an anglicization of Danish and Norwegian Andersen or…
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 3 syllables
- Ending
- ends N
- shared origin connection
- balanced name length
Asia
From Middle English Asia, Asie, from Old French Asie and Latin Asia, from Ancient Greek Ᾰ̓σῐ́ᾱ (Ăsĭ́ā), from Mycenaean Greek 𐀀𐀯𐀹𐀊 (a-si-wi-ja /aswijaː/), in turn probably…
- Gender
- feminine
- Syllables
- 2 syllables
- Ending
- ends A
- shared origin connection
- balanced name length
Austin
From Middle English Austin, from Anglo-Norman Aostin, Austin, similar to Old French Aostin, Austin, a popular variant of Old French Agustin, from Latin Augustīnus, from…
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 2 syllables
- Ending
- ends N
- shared origin connection
- balanced name length