Porterfield
A Scottish surname meaning “porter’s field” or “field associated with a porter.”
The #5,160 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 45,538 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Porterfield is a compound surname built from Middle English porter, meaning a gatekeeper, carrier, or attendant, and field, meaning an open tract of land. The name most likely began as a topographic label for someone living by a field connected with a porter, or as an occupational-place name tied to a porter’s work site or holding. In some cases it may also reflect a lost local place-name rather than a direct personal description.
History
The name is strongly associated with Scotland, where it is established as a hereditary surname. Like many compound surnames, it likely emerged in the late medieval period and later spread through migration to England, North America, and the wider ангlosphere. The surname is uncommon but well enough attested to survive as a distinct family name rather than a simple descriptive phrase.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Porterfield is a good example of a surname that sounds almost transparent in modern English, but may actually preserve a much older local or occupational place reference.
From the historical record
“the law, judiciously resorted to the alias of Hedg- FiELD. One Hedgefoot was killed in a fight in Kentucky, September, 1859. Mr. Porterfield lives at Nashville, Tenn. Mr. Witchfield was one of the early freemen of Connecticut. Barnfield's Poems were published in London, 1818. We have also Bloomfield's Poems, and…”
— Suffolk Surnames (3rd ed.)