Submitted NameRevisions Save Type Surname (from occupation) Usage German Pronounced Pron. PAWRT-man [key] Other Forms FormsPortman, Porter Edit Status Status [show contributorshide contributors] Added 12/14/2020 by General9696 Edited 8/11/2021 by General9696 Meaning & History Occupational name for a gatekeeper, derived from Middle Low German port(e) meaning "gate" and man, or a topographic name for someone who lived near the gates of a fortified town.