The Porter family name was originally adopted from the original bearers’ occupation. Porter was an occupational name for a gatekeeper or watchman deriving its origin from the Old French word “portier”, meaning “doorman”.
In the royal castles, and in some monasteries, the office of Porter was usually hereditary, and lands and privileges were usually connected to the position.
Spelling variations include: Porter, Pawter, Poreter, Portar and others.
First found in Kyle where Radulfus the porter witnessed the gift of the church of Cragyn (Craigie) to the monastery of Paisley in 1177.
Some of the first settlers of this name or some of its variants were:
Roger Porter, who settled in New England in 1638; with his wife and four children; Robert Porter settled in the Barbados in 1676 with his two children.
(Swyrich Corporation 2006)
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