Portland

See also: portland

English

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *per-

Proto-Indo-European *-tus

Proto-Indo-European *pértusder.

Proto-Italic *portus

Latin portusbor.

Old English port

Proto-Indo-European *lendʰ-

Proto-Indo-European *-om

Proto-Germanic *landą

Proto-West Germanic *land

Old English land

Old English Portland

Middle English Portland

English Portland

Inherited from Middle English Portland. By surface analysis, port + land.

Pronunciation

• (UK, Ireland) IPA^(key): /ˈpɔːtlənd/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈpɔɹtlənd/

Proper noun

Portland

1. The largest city in Oregon, United States and the county seat of Multnomah County; named for the city in Maine.

   Synonym: PDX (abbreviation)

   • 2025 September 27, Kit Maher, quoting Jeff Merkley, “Trump says he’s sending troops to Portland to protect ICE facilities”, in CNN‎^[1], archived from the original on 16 October 2025:

     “Here is what I do know – the president has sent agents here to create chaos and riots here in Portland, to induce a reaction. To induce protests. To induce conflicts. His goal is to make Portland look as he was describing it as,” Merkley said. “Our job is to say, ‘We are not going to take the bait.’”

2. The largest city in Maine, United States and the county seat of Cumberland County; named for the Isle of Portland.
   • 2024 June 24, Brandon Griggs, “This coastal culinary hub offers a ‘big-city feel in a small-city package’”, in CNN‎^[2], archived from the original on 31 August 2024:

     Visitors to Maine, arriving with visions of lighthouses and lobsters, often bypass Portland on their way northeast to Acadia National Park or the many picturesque fishing villages of the state’s mid-coast.

3. Multiple smaller locales in the United States:
   1. A town in Ashley County, Arkansas; named for its steamboat port.
   2. An unincorporated community in Fremont County, Colorado; named for the local Portland cement industry.
   3. A census-designated place in Ouray County, Colorado.
   4. A town and census-designated place therein, in Middlesex County, Connecticut; named for the Isle of Portland.
   5. An unincorporated community in Polk County, Georgia; named for the local Portland cement industry.
   6. A township in Whiteside County, Illinois.
   7. A city, the county seat of Jay County, Indiana; named for the city in Maine.
   8. A township and census-designated place therein, in Cerro Gordo County, Iowa.
   9. An unincorporated community in Sumner County, Kansas.
   10. An unincorporated community in Adair County, Kentucky.
   11. A neighborhood of Louisville, Kentucky.
   12. A city and township in Ionia County, Michigan.
   13. An unincorporated community in Callaway County, Missouri; named for its port.
   14. A town in Chautauqua County, New York.
   15. A minor city in Traill County, North Dakota.
   16. An unincorporated community in Lebanon Township, Meigs County, Ohio.
   17. A borough in Northampton County, Pennsylvania; named for the city in Maine.
   18. A city in Sumner County and Robertson County, Tennessee.
   19. A city in San Patricio County, Texas; named for the city in Maine.
   20. A town in Dodge County, Wisconsin.
   21. An unincorporated community in Portland, Dodge County and town of Waterloo, Jefferson County, Wisconsin.
   22. A town and unincorporated community therein, in Monroe County, Wisconsin.
   23. Some other townships, listed under Portland Township.
4. A civil parish with a town council on the Isle of Portland, Dorset, England, a tied island in the English Channel.
5. A locale in Australia:
   1. A town in the City of Lithgow, New South Wales; named for the local Portland cement industry.
   2. A city in Victoria; named for British politician William Cavendish-Bentinck, 3rd Duke of Portland.
6. A community in Rideau Lakes township, Ontario, Canada; named for the 3rd Duke of Portland.
7. A townland in County Tipperary, Ireland.
8. A parish of Jamaica.
9. A locality near Whangarei, Northland, New Zealand; named for the local Portland cement industry.
10. A sea area between the Isle of Portland and the coast of France.
11. A surname.

Derived terms

• Cape Portland
• Isle of Portland
• Lower Portland
• New Portland
• Portland Bill
• Portland cement
• Portlander
• Portlandian
• Portlandite
• portlandite
• Portland North
• Portland Parish
• Portland ribbon wave
• Portland rose
• Portland vase
• Portland West
• South Portland
• Weymouth and Portland

Translations

townland in Ireland

• Irish: Port Tulcháin
• Korean: 포틀랜드 (poteullaendeu)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Esperanto: ^{(please verify)} Portlando
• Greek: Πόρτλαντ (el) n (Pórtlant)

Statistics

• According to the 2010 United States Census, Portland is the 143149^th most common surname in the United States, belonging to 116 individuals. Portland is most common among White (89.66%) individuals.

Dutch

Etymology

Attested as Portlandsche Polder in 1839–1859. Borrowed from English Portland. Named after Hans William Bentinck, 1st Earl of Portland and lord of Rhoon.

Pronunciation

• Hyphenation: Port‧land

Proper noun

Portland n

1. a neighbourhood of Albrandswaard, South Holland, Netherlands

References

• van Berkel, Gerard; Samplonius, Kees (2018), “Portland”, in Nederlandse plaatsnamen verklaard‎^[3] (in Dutch), Mijnbestseller.nl, →ISBN

Old English

Etymology

Equivalent to port +‎ land.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈportˌlɑnd/, [ˈporˠtˌlɑnd]

Proper noun

Portland n

1. Portland (in Dorset, England)
   • The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle

     An. DCCCC.LXXXII Hēr on þȳs ġēare cōmon upp on Dorsǣtum III. sċypu wīcinga ⁊ hergedon on Portlande.

     Year 982 In this year three Viking ships came up to Dorsetshire and raided Portland.