Surname Purtill - Meaning and Origin
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Purtill: What does the surname Purtill mean?
The surname Purtill is of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic name "Ó Póirtéil". It is a patronymic form of the personal name "Pórtéil", which is thought to be a Gaelicized form of the Old French name "Portehal", associated with the Norman Conquest of Ireland in the 12th Century. "Portehal" itself stems from "porte", meaning gate, and "hal", meaning hall. Therefore, the name might suggest an occupational origin as it could possibly refer to someone who works or lives near the "gate of the hall". However, interpretations of the meaning can slightly vary. The name can predominantly be found in the region of County Clare and it became quite widespread in Ireland, especially in the west. As with many Irish surnames, many different spellings of the name can be found due to phonetic translations from Gaelic to English, such as Portell, Portell, Purtell, and more. It is important to note that meanings of surnames can have several different interpretations and could have changed or evolved over time.
Order DNA origin analysisPurtill: Where does the name Purtill come from?
The last name Purtill is most common throughout the United States. According to the US Census Bureau, the name is most commonly found in California, New York, and Massachusetts.
In California, Purtill is the 294th most common last name, with approximately 1,422 people bearing this surname. California has several counties where more than 200 people in the state share this name. According to statistics, the areas of Los Angeles and San Francisco have the highest Purtill populations within the state.
In New York state, the name Purtill is the 805th most common last name, with 842 people bearing this surname. The majority of the Purtill population is concentrated in the New York City area, with Brooklyn, Staten Island, and Queens all having a larger population of Purtills than anywhere else in the state.
In Massachusetts, the surname Purtill is the 809th most common last name, with 819 people bearing this name. Massachusetts is home to several counties with more than a hundred people holding the Purtill name. The majority of this population is located in the Greater Boston area, with Middlesex County having the most Purtills within the state.
Overall, the last name Purtill is found throughout the United States, with its highest populations in California, New York, and Massachusetts.
Variations of the surname Purtill
The Purtill surname has various variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin. These include Purdy, Purtell, Purtill, Purtelle, Purtill, Purtilo, Purtla, Purtley, Purtil, and Purtilo.
The origin of Purtill is Irish, derived from the Gaelic Ó Proitigh, which is derived from the first name Proud or Proudie. This name means one who is full of pride. The original spelling of the surname Purtill would have begun with Ó Proitigh, with the prefix Ó, meaning ‘descendant of’, and Proitigh, being the patronymic derived from Proud or Proudie.
The surname Purtill is found in various records, including the Irish Civil Records between 1698 and 1867. In the 1881 Great Britain Census, the surname was predominant in the counties of Dorset and Wiltshire, respectively. It was also found in Galway, Ireland, in Griffith’s Valuation of Ireland in the mid 1800s, where Maghnus Proitigh's household was recorded, an occurrence of the original spelling of the surname. In various records, the surname was recorded as Purdy, Purtell, Purtill, Purtelle, Purtil, Purtla, and Purtley.
The variant spelling, Purdy, is derived from the French word for curly hair, curd. It may have been used to denote a person with curly hair.
In summary, the surname Purtill has several variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin. These include Purdy, Purtell, Purtill, Purtelle, Purtil, Purtla, Purtley, and Purtilo. The origin is Irish, derived from the Gaelic Ó Proitigh, and the variant spelling Purdy is derived from the French word for curly hair. The surname is recorded in various records in the UK, Ireland, and elsewhere.
Famous people with the name Purtill
- Jack Purtill: Professional lacrosse player for the Rochester Knighthawks in the National Lacrosse League.
- Chris Purtill: Professional soccer player for FC Jumilla in the Segunda División B in Spain.
- Joe Purtill: Former professional basketball player who played for the New York Nets and the New Jersey Nets in the ABA.
- Michelle Purtill: Irish singer and songwriter.
- Matt Purtill: Professional golfer, currently playing on the Web.com Tour.
- John Purtill: Irish Gaelic footballer and coach.
- Joe Purtill: American politician, member of the Wisconsin Assembly from 1913 to 1916.
- Tony Purtill: American entomologist and professor of biology at the University of Florida.
- Dean Purtill: English actor best known for playing Mitchell Blakely in the BBC soap opera EastEnders.
- Marcus Purtill: American football coach and former player, who is the current head coach of the Charleston Southern Buccaneers.