Portia is a Latin baby girl’s name that comes from the Roman surname Porcius. Portia means “pig, hog, or doorway”. It was popular in the latter half of the 20th century but fell out of the public eye in the 1990s. Portia is a favorite with fans of literature, especially the works of William Shakespeare, because of its use in “The Merchant of Venice”.
Meaning of the name Portia:
Latin: pig, hog or doorway
Origin of the name Portia:
Portia is a baby girl’s name of Latin origin that means “pig, hog, doorway”. Portia comes from the Latin family name Porcius. The person credited with popularizing the name was William Shakespeare in his play “The Merchant of Venice”.
Symbolism of the name Portia:
Pigs are a symbol with both positive and negative associations. To some, pigs symbolize abundance, happiness, and intelligence. To others, pigs symbolize uncleanliness, rudeness, and poor manners.
Style of the name Portia:
traditional
Gender of the name Portia:
Portia is a girl's name.
Pronunciation of the name Portia:
PAWR-shə, POOR-shə
Number of syllables in the name Portia:
two
Emotion evoked from the name Portia:
Portia evokes feelings of beauty and intelligence.
Alternative spellings for the name Portia:
Porcia, Porsha, Porshia
Nicknames for the name Portia:
Popularity of the name Portia:
According to the Social Security Administration, Portia is a popular baby girl’s name. Portia was in the top 1000 baby names between 1941 and 1991. It peaked at #590 in 1949.
Related names for the name Portia:
Great middle names for the name Portia and their meanings:
- Cleo (glory)
- Emilee (rival)
- Juliet (youthful, sky father)
- Imogen (maiden)
- Cybele (mother of all gods)
- Beatrice (she who brings happiness, blessed)
- Lavinia (from Lavinium)
- Rosalind (pretty rose)
Famous people with the name Portia:
- Portia Dawson (American actress)
- Portia Ann Doubleday (American actress)
- Portia Munson (American artist)
- Portia May White (Canadian opera singer)
- Portia Woodman (New Zealand rugby player)
Portia in popular culture:
- Portia (theater, “The Merchant of Venice” by William Shakespeare)
- Portia Bellefleur (television, “True Blood”)
- Portia Quayne (literature, “The Death of the Heart” by Elizabeth Bowen)
- Portia Lin (television, “Dark Matter”)
- Portia Leach (film, “A Fish Called Wanda”)