Show ContentsPorch History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Porch arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Porch 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 Porch family

The surname Porch 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 Porch family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Porch research. Another 122 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1185 and 1273 are included under the topic Early Porch History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Porch Spelling Variations

A multitude of spelling variations characterize Norman surnames. Many variations occurred because Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England also had a pronounced effect, as did the court languages of Latin and French. Therefore, one person was often referred to by several different spellings in a single lifetime. The various spellings include Porcher, Porchers and others.

Early Notables of the Porch family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

  • Edric Porcher, a Templar

Porch Ranking

In the United States, the name Porch is the 8,442nd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1


United States Porch migration to the United States +

Many English families left England, to avoid the chaos of their homeland and migrated to the many British colonies abroad. Although the conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and some travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute, once in the colonies, many of the families prospered and made valuable contributions to the cultures of what would become the United States and Canada. Research into the origins of individual families in North America has revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Porch or a variant listed above:

Porch Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • H G Porch, aged 23, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1804 2
  • Thomas Porch, aged 30, who arrived in New York in 1849 2
Porch Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Frea E. Porch, aged 47, who arrived in New York in 1919 aboard the ship "Nieuw Amsterdam" from Plymouth 3
  • Henry B. Porch, aged 18, who arrived in New York in 1919 aboard the ship "Lewis Luckenbach" from Santos, Brazil 3
  • Agnes F. Porch, aged 31, who arrived in New York City, New York in 1920 aboard the ship "Baltic" from Queenstown, Ireland 3
  • William Porch, aged 21, who arrived in New York in 1920 aboard the ship "Bessemer" from Tuxpam, Mexico 3

Australia Porch migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Porch Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. James Porch, English convict who was convicted in Somerset, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Bardaster" on 7th September 1835, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Porch (post 1700) +

  • John Vanneman Porch (1806-1859), American politician, Member of New Jersey State House of Assembly from Gloucester County, 1853 5
  • Edwin Monroe Porch (1852-1927), American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Kentucky, 1888 5
  • Edwin Porch Morrow (1877-1935), American Republican politician, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, 1911-14; Governor of Kentucky, 1919-23 6


The Porch Motto +

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.


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. 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)
  3. Ellis Island Search retrieved 15th November 2022. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result
  4. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bardaster
  5. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 22) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  6. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 17) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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