Porterfield Family History

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Porterfield Name Meaning

Scottish (mainly Glasgow): topographic name from the hereditary lands owned by a porter (see Porter 1), taken as a surname by the descendants of such an official. Black suggests that they would originally have been known as Porter but extended their name when ‘territorial surnames’ became fashionable.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press


Similar surnames: Porter, Holderfield, Potterfield, Overfield, Butterfield, Winterfeld

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Porterfield Family Origin

Where is the Porterfield family from?

Location
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1840
    1920
    You can see how Porterfield families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Porterfield family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Porterfield families were found in the USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 20 Porterfield families living in Tennessee. This was about 22% of all the recorded Porterfield's in the USA. Tennessee had the highest population of Porterfield families in 1840.
    Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Porterfield surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

    View Census Data for Porterfield

    Porterfield Family Occupations

    What did your Porterfield ancestors do for a living?

    In 1880, the most common Porterfield occupation in the USA was Farmer. 48% of Porterfield's were Farmers. Farmer, Keeping House and Farming were the top 3 reported jobs worked by Porterfield. A less common occupation for the Porterfield family was Laborer.

    View Census data for Porterfield | Data not to scale

    • Farmer

      48%

    • Keeping House

      6%

    • Farming

      6%

    • Laborer

      4%

    Census records can tell you a lot of little known facts about your Porterfield ancestors, such as occupation. Occupation can tell you about your ancestor's social and economic status.

    Porterfield Historical Records

    What Porterfield family records will you find?

    Census Record

    There are 3,000 census records available for the last name Porterfield. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Porterfield census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

    Search 1940's US census records for Porterfield

    Passenger List

    There are 642 immigration records available for the last name Porterfield. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

    View all Porterfield immigration records

    Draft Card

    There are 1,000 military records available for the last name Porterfield. For the veterans among your Porterfield ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

    View all Porterfield military records

    You've only scratched the surface of Porterfield family history.

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    Porterfield Life Expectancy

    What is the average Porterfield lifespan?

    Between 1950 and 2004, in the United States, Porterfield life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1952, and highest in 2002. The average life expectancy for Porterfield in 1950 was 45, and 75 in 2004.

    View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Porterfield

    An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Porterfield ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

    Famous Porterfield Family

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