Surname Poertgen - Meaning and Origin
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Poertgen: What does the surname Poertgen mean?
The last name Poertgen is a German surname that is believed to have originated in the late 1700s. The name roughly translates to "wellborn", and may have been used to indicate a person of noble origin. Specifically, the name is thought to be derived from the German word "pforte," meaning a fortified opening or gate, and the suffix "-gen," meaning descent or origin.
Though the familial roots and noble origin of the Poertgen surname are believed to be German, the name is now commonly associated with families from both Germany and the Netherlands. Across the two countries, Poertgen is used much less frequently than the average surname, though is more commonly found in areas with German-speaking populations.
In the present day, the Poertgen surname is used by both families with German and Dutch ancestries. Despite being more difficult to find outside of their original homelands, the name is still present and continues to be used by families across generations.
Order DNA origin analysisPoertgen: Where does the name Poertgen come from?
The last name Poertgen is found in both Germany and The United States.
In Germany, it is most common in the states of North Rhine-Westphalia and Saarland. In North Rhine-Westphalia, the cities of Cologne and Düsseldorf have the most Poertgen residents, while in Saarland, the town of Großrosseln is the largest concentration of Poertgens.
In The United States, Poertgen is substantially less common – as of 2019, there were less than one thousand people with the surname living there. Most Poertgens in the US can be found in California, though there are also populations in Arapahoe County, Colorado; Kalamazoo County, Michigan; Cuyahoga County, Ohio; and Monroe County, Pennsylvania.
Given the low numbers of Poertgen families across both Germany and The United States, many are likely related to each other, with their common ancestor living in today's Germany likely several hundred years ago.
Variations of the surname Poertgen
The surname Poertgen is usually spelled and pronounced the same, but there are some variants. Pörgten, Poerthner, Poerten, Puertgen, Purtgen, Puerten, Pörtgen and Pörtchen are the most common spellings.
The primary origin of the surname Poertgen is Germanic, derived from the old German word "purt", meaning a small or narrow gate, along with "gen", which may have indicated a person associated with this structure. In some cases, the name may instead have come from the German word "burg", meaning fortress or town, and have indicated a person from such a place.
Poertgen is also the name of a location in the municipality of Goddelau in Rhein-Neckar-Kreis, Germany. Subsequently, any family with the surname Poertgen may have originated from this area.
Variations of the surname Poertgen include Puert, Puergen, Pörgen, Puertner, Purtener, Peurtener and Puertenacker. In the United States, some families with the name Poertgen have adapted the spelling to Pretgen or Portgen. The suffix "-er" is generally used in Germany to indicate a patronymic style of surname, meaning that the name originally referred to the father of the original bearer.
Today, the surname Poertgen is most common in Germany and in areas with a German population, such as the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Variants of the name Poertgen have been found in many other European countries, including Switzerland, Austria, France, and the Netherlands.
Famous people with the name Poertgen
- Katharina Poertgen: A German fashion designer, illustrator, and visual artist.
- Michael Poertgen: A German footballer and manager.
- Martin Poertgen: A German actor and voice actor best known for his roles in Stubbe: Von Fall zu Fall, A Case for Two, and The Old Fox.
- Alexandra Poertgen: A German fashion designer and model.
- Antje Poertgen: A German actress and voice actress best known for voicing the characters of Gangly, Peaches, and evil Peppin in Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit.
- Reinhold Poertgen: A German footballer and manager.
- Henning Poertgen: A German businessman who heads the agricultural and dairy company Poertgen & Co. GmbH.
- Johannes Poertgen: A German classical cellist and conductor.
- Tana Poertgen: A German artist and photographer whose work is displayed in museums and galleries around the world.
- Ramon Poertgen: A German entrepreneur and founder of Poertgen & Co. Ltd.