Explore the Family Name Porfirio

The meaning of Porfirio

Portuguese (Porfírio), Spanish, and Italian: from the personal name Porfírio, Porfirio, from Greek Porphyrios, derived from porphyra ‘purple’, a luxury dye associated with nobility and royalty.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Porfirio in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Porfirio saw a significant rise in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked 66,073 but had jumped to 44,808 by 2010, an increase of more than 32%. The number of individuals bearing this surname also increased during this period, from 280 to 479, showing a growth rate of over 71%. The proportion of those with the Porfirio surname per 100k people also rose from 0.1 to 0.16.

20002010Change
Rank#66,073#44,80832.18%
Count28047971.07%
Proportion per 100k0.10.1660%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Porfirio

The ethnic identity associated with the surname Porfirio also shifted between the years 2000 and 2010 according to the Decennial U.S. Census. In 2000, the majority of individuals with this surname identified as Hispanic (53.57%) or White (42.14%). By 2010, there had been a noteworthy decline in the percentage identifying as White (to 30.27%), while the Hispanic group grew to 66.81%. There was also a new appearance from the Asian/Pacific Islander community, accounting for 1.46% of individuals with this surname in 2010. However, the percentage of those identifying with two or more races decreased to zero. The Black and American Indian and Alaskan Native groups remained at zero throughout the period.

20002010Change
Hispanic53.57%66.81%24.72%
White42.14%30.27%-28.17%
Asian/Pacific Islander0%1.46%0%
Two or More Races3.57%0%0%
Black0%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%