| ![Show Contents]() Portis History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 England Portis is a name that first reached England following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Portis family lived in Norfolk. Thae name could also be an occupational name. Occupational names that were derived from the common trades of the medieval era transcended European cultural and linguistic boundaries. In this case, the term porcker was someone who tended pigs. Early Origins of the Portis familyThe surname Portis was first found in Norfolk where they held a family seat from very early times and were granted lands by Duke William of Normandy, their liege Lord, for their distinguished assistance at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 A.D. Early History of the Portis familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Portis research. Another 122 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1185 and 1273 are included under the topic Early Portis History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Portis Spelling VariationsIt is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, Anglo-Norman surnames like Portis are characterized by many spelling variations. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages such as Norman French and Latin, even literate people regularly changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Portis include Porcher, Porchers and others. Early Notables of the Portis familyMore information is included under the topic Early Portis Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Portis RankingIn the United States, the name Portis is the 5,116th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 1
 Portis migration to the United States | + |
Faced with the chaos present in England at that time, many English families looked towards the open frontiers of the New World with its opportunities to escape oppression and starvation. People migrated to North America, as well as Australia and Ireland in droves, paying exorbitant rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, but those who did see the shores of North America were welcomed with great opportunity. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America carried the name Portis, or a variant listed above:
Portis Settlers in United States in the 18th Century- William Portis, who landed in Virginia in 1703 2
| Contemporary Notables of the name Portis (post 1700) | + |
- J. W. Portis, American politician, Candidate for Representative from Alabama in the Confederate Congress 9th District, 1861 3
- Dan F. Portis, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Arkansas, 1948 3
The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.
Motto: Pro rege
Motto Translation: For the King.
- "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
- Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
- The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 3) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
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Portis migration to the United States 
