Porter is from the Old French portier — from Latin portarius (doorkeeper, gatekeeper). A modern American baby name in the broader unisex-surname aesthetic. Cole Porter (1891-1964) — male; American songwriter; one of the most-celebrated American composers of the 20th century; wrote Anything Goes (1934), Kiss Me, Kate (1948) — the first-ever Tony Award winner for Best Musical; his songs include Night and Day, I've Got You Under My Skin, Begin the Beguine, and I Get a Kick Out of You — all standards of the American Songbook; the Songwriters Hall of Fame inducted him in 1971. Katherine Anne Porter (1890-1980) — American novelist; Pulitzer Prize for Fiction (1966) for her Collected Stories; National Book Award (1966); Ship of Fools (1962) sold 800,000+ copies. Sylvia Porter (1913-1991) — American financial journalist; her Money Book (1975) sold 2+ million copies. William Sydney Porter (1862-1910) — male; American short story writer known by his pen name O. Henry; The Gift of the Magi (1905). Porter Wagoner (1927-2007) — male; American country singer; gave Dolly Parton her first major TV break.
Featured throughout American music, literature, and journalism.
Porter reduces to eight.