Surname Portwood - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'P'
Portwood: What does the surname Portwood mean?
The English surname Portwood is of locational origin, deriving from a place called 'Portwood' in the county of Cheshire, England. This place name is derived from the Old English words 'port', meaning a town or a market place, and 'wudu', meaning a wood. So, the meaning of Portwood can be interpreted as "the wood near the town" or "the wood by the market place." As a locational surname, it was typically given to people who resided in or came from that area. Like other English surnames, Portwood would have become hereditary over time, passed down from generation to generation.
Order DNA origin analysisPortwood: Where does the name Portwood come from?
The last name Portwood is most commonly found today in the United Kingdom. According to the General Register Office’s 2019 population statistics report, the name ranks as the 4,876th most common name in England and Wales. It is most heavily recorded in the Staffordshire county, where it ranks as the 162nd most common surname.
The surname Portwood is thought to derive from Old English roots, and to have first appeared as early as the 13th century. It is believed to have originated from the words ‘por’, meaning ‘pig’ or ‘hog’, and 'wudu', meaning ‘wood’. It is assumed that individuals with the Portwood surname were livestock herders or forest dwellers.
The current distribution of Portwoods across the U.K. is limited today. There are small pockets of bearers of the name in different regions, including Leicestershire, Derbyshire, Greater Manchester and South Yorkshire. The name is also commonly found in the Midlands, with peak concentrations around the Coventry and Birmingham area. In recent decades there has been a decline in its prevalence, with a 3% drop in its overall occurrence between 2003 and 2019.
Despite its declining numbers, the last name Portwood is still an integral part of U.K. heritage, and many Portwood family members keep alive its traditions and legacy.
Variations of the surname Portwood
The surname Portwood has a few variants, spellings and alternate surnames that derive from the same origin.
The most common alternative form is Portewood. This variant is sometimes seen in England in particular, for example in the less populous towns and villages in the country. Other spellings, such as Portewud, Portwod and Portwoode have also been known to occur.
Porthead is an interesting alternate form of the surname Portwood, likely derived from any of the numerous places in the United Kingdom with the name Porthead, Port Head or similar.
Finally, the surnames Portwode and Portwidge have also been found sporadically, with the latter more commonly found in Scotland.
As Portwood is a fairly uncommon surname, the variants, alternate spellings and surnames of the same origin are not so well known. Nevertheless, they can all claim to be connected in some way to the same ancestral root.
Famous people with the name Portwood
- Amber Portwood: American television personality known for her appearances in 16 and Pregnant, Teen Mom, and Couples Therapy.
- Lee Portwood: American singer-songwriter and drummer from the band Radio Cult.
- Laura Portwood-Stacer: Assistant professor of communication studies at Northwestern University and author of the book, Life in Code: A Personal History of Technology.
- William Dock Portwood: The founder of Portwood and Company and the lead singer of the musical group Portwood.
- Joel Portwood: British actor best known for his roles in Emmerdale and Heartbeat.
- Robert Portwood: American actor who has appeared in The Lone Ranger and This Week in Baseball.
- Carol Portwood: American author of several books including Learning to Fly and Living Out Loud.
- Susannah Portwood: Australian actor who has had roles in films such as Bootmen and The Reef.
- Will Portwood: English actor, dancer and choreographer best known for playing Andy Burrows on the West End stage.
- Brian Portwood: Actor, screenwriter and director known for his work on the feature films The Miseducation of Cameron Post, Before Someone Gets Hurt and Sublimity.