Portia
Portia is a girl's name of Latin origin.
Meaning
Pertaining to pigs or livestock, derived from the Latin 'porcus'.
Origin and history
Portia is a historic name of Latin origin, derived from the Roman family name Portius. It gained lasting literary renown through prominent characters in William Shakespeare's plays The Merchant of Venice and Julius Caesar. In the United States, it has been used consistently but remains a relatively uncommon, sophisticated choice.
Popularity in the United States
10,627 babies in the United States have been named Portia since 1880. It ranks #1578 all-time. Among babies born since 2020 it ranks #2016.
States where it is most popular
- CA (11.8 %)
- NC (10.3 %)
- TX (8.2 %)
- GA (7.2 %)
- IL (7.2 %)
Trends by decade
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880-1890 | 18 |
| 1890-1900 | 52 |
| 1900-1910 | 105 |
| 1910-1920 | 283 |
| 1920-1930 | 373 |
| 1930-1940 | 272 |
| 1940-1950 | 1,327 |
| 1950-1960 | 1,545 |
| 1960-1970 | 1,324 |
| 1970-1980 | 1,056 |
| 1980-1990 | 1,864 |
| 1990-2000 | 1,190 |
| 2000-2010 | 712 |
| 2010-2019 | 421 |
| 2020-2029 | 85 |
Famous people named Portia
- Portia de Rossi: Actress, Philanthropist
- Portia Doubleday: Actress
Fun facts
- Portia is the clever heroine of Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, famous for her speech on the 'quality of mercy'.
- A inner satellite of the planet Uranus was named Portia after the Shakespearean character.