2000
#24,200
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 971
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.36
Rare Last name
Portz
A surname derived from a place name, likely referring to an origin near a harbor or port.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,146 Americans carry the last name Portz. That puts it at #25,819 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.33 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 299,088 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Portz surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
1.1K
1 in 299,088
Census rank
#25,819
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
999
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 999 bearers of the surname Portz in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.33 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 25819th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Portz, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Portz
The surname Portz originated in Germany, with the earliest records dating back to the late 16th century. The name is believed to be derived from the German word "Pforte," which means "gate" or "entrance." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a gate or entrance to a town or city.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Hans Portz, who was born in Nuremberg, Germany, in 1587. Records indicate that he was a merchant and trader, and his name appears in several local business documents from that time period.
In the 17th century, the name Portz began to spread beyond Germany to other parts of Europe. Johann Portz, born in 1642 in Saxony, Germany, was a renowned clockmaker and is mentioned in several historical texts on the craft of clockmaking.
The name Portz does not appear in the Domesday Book, which was a survey of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. However, there are records of the name in other historical documents from the 18th and 19th centuries.
One notable figure was Friedrich Portz, born in 1792 in Berlin, Germany. He was a prominent lawyer and legal scholar who wrote several influential works on German civil law. His name is mentioned in various legal texts and records from the early 19th century.
Another individual of note was Anna Portz, born in 1814 in Bavaria, Germany. She was a celebrated opera singer who performed in many of the major opera houses across Europe during the mid-19th century.
In the 20th century, the name Portz gained some recognition in the United States. One notable American bearing the surname was Walter Portz, born in 1909 in New York City. He was a successful businessman and philanthropist who made significant contributions to various charitable organizations.
Throughout history, the surname Portz has been spelled in various ways, including Portz, Portze, and Portsz, reflecting the regional variations and linguistic influences of different areas where the name was found.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Portz
Among Census respondents with the surname Portz, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Portz bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Portz surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.0% · 919
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 39
- Two or more races3.3% · 33
- Black or African American0.4% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Portz
Portz appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#28,587
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 834
-137 bearers (-14.1%)
Per 100,000 0.28
Rank movement Down 4,387 places
2020
#25,819
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 999
+165 bearers (+19.8%)
Per 100,000 0.33
Rank movement Up 2,768 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #24,200 | 971 | 0.36 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #28,587 | 834 | 0.28 | -137 bearers (-14.1%) | Down 4,387 places |
| 2020 | #25,819 | 999 | 0.33 | +165 bearers (+19.8%) | Up 2,768 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Portz surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #28,587 | #25,819 | 9.7% |
| Count | 834 | 999 | 19.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.28 | 0.33 | 19.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Portz bearers went from 834 to 999 (+19.8% change). The surname moved up 2,768 positions in the national ranking, going from #28,587 to #25,819.
FAQ
Portz surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Portz?
Name Census estimates that about 1,146 living Americans carry the surname Portz. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 299,088 residents.
How common is Portz?
Portz ranks #25,819 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.33 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 999 people with the surname Portz. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,146), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.33 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.33 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Portz.
Has Portz become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Portz went from 834 recorded bearers to 999. That is an increase of 165 (+19.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #28,587 to #25,819.
What does the Census say about the background of Portz?
Among Census respondents with the surname Portz, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (3.3%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Portz in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.0% (919 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Portz appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.0%), Hispanic (3.9%), Two or More Races (3.3%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Portz (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Portz mean?
A surname derived from a place name, likely referring to an origin near a harbor or port. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Portz (0.33 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Portz?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Portz on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.