Portia

I like the meaning pig. It’s unique, and pigs are very cute, in my opinion.

Meh. Dated and unattractive. The meaning is kinda funny though.

Porcia looks better.

My middle name is Portia and I really like it. I like that it is different, I like the spelling of it and I’m a thespian so it suits me. My family use nicknames from Portia rather than my first name. I’m Porshie - Pig, PP, Porsche and Porshie. Uneducated (no offense) people, when hearing my middle name will go ‘like the car’.
I just reply, 'well my Dad can’t afford Porsche so he got a Portia instead.'
Also just for the record I’m not posh or snobby either.
I understand it’s not to everyone's taste but if you're looking for a strong, heroic, feminist and unique name I would recommend Portia.

Hello from Australia! I don't know why Portia Di Rossi chose to name herself Portia. As her birth name is far more beautiful and dreamy, Amanda meaning: Worthy of Love or Loved by Everyone. I'm extremely proud of mine and fight daily to live up to them. Carla (freeman / freewoman and Veronica which means (bringer of victory or true image). Portia's parents proudly gave her the name Amanda because they saw she was beautiful and Worthy of Love. It's sad to think that Portia De Rossi would change her name even for Hollywood.

Anyone with the name Portia, you’re not a pig.

I think that it's funny that Portia means pig. This is because Portia is a character from the Merchant of Venice, and I hate her. She bullies Shylock by lying to him. She also helps the others bully poor Shylock as well. She was completely biased against Shylock in court, but Antonio and the others say that "It's okay, he's a Jew". I think that it's a pretty sounding name, but I love the meaning because I think that Shakespeare knew the meaning and chose to name his bully that name. Meanwhile, bullies like Antonio got ironic names, for Antonio isn't praiseworthy in the slightest.

My first name is Portia. My father named me after the character in Merchant of Venice. It's funny to see that people think it's ugly or stuck up, and I like seeing others defend it. It was not an easy name to grow up with, but now that I'm all grown up, I love it. I love that I was named for a strong female character who is associated with justice, and I get a lot of compliments on my name. The comments about it being a stuck up, high class girl's name were especially funny. My father was a bus driver, we are a lower middle class family, and I'm hoping for a day where I don't live paycheck to paycheck. So, definitely not stuck up and I'm delighted with my name.

My name is Portia, and like anyone else with an unusual name have heard various pronunciations of it and seen different spellings. In the 1980's when I was born it was deemed very rare. Nowadays there are a few more of us but all Portias that I've come across seem to be much much younger so the name seems to be resurfacing again. I hated my name when I was younger because people always asked me about it and I'd get embarrassed about it because no one had ever heard of it. As I've gotten older I like my name and was even considering naming my own daughter after me but decided to give her another crazy name that no one has heard of either! I also like the historical characters named Portia and the various interesting meanings- not the pig one though. People consider Portia to be the name of someone serious, selfish and stuck up. That too I would disagree with. If anything I'm the total opposite.

We named our daughter Portia. We live in the US and a lot of people are judgey (just like the people on this thread) but we just thought it sounded pretty and has a heroine upon whom we could base it. To say that people with a certain name always have certain characteristics is frankly moronic. Babies are named near birth, and personality emerges long before they have any sense of their name's meaning. Our daughter is beautiful and so is her name.

My 4 year old daughter is named Portia. This name is not really popular here in the US.

My name is Portia I have got given a load of crap about my name and I know that
A: i'm not a pig
B: i'm not rude and stuck up
C: I like being different. if there wasn't names like this we would all be the same
D: it was fun saying I was named after a godess and a heroin.

My name happens to be Portia and I actually grew up very poor. I believe having this name helped me not be as shy and it helped me come out of my shell. I get complemented on my name constantly and I beleive it is a romantic name that has a lot of history behind it.

I love the name it is usually for someone who's stuck up, a know it all, and mean. But there are other sides like intelligent, outgoing, some are shy, weird, crazy, and goofy so don't put us all in one category because of are name the name doesn't make the person the person makes the name so until you meet us all keep your negative comments to yourself thank you! And it's also a jumping spider!

Portia is a heavy but deeply romantic name.

I have a friend with this name and I really like it, I think it's cool and somewhat unusual. And before you ask, she is not some upper class intellectual, I think her family just like unusual names (her mum is called Hazel).

I do not agree with the comments whereby people state the name is "ugly". The name has been in use for ages and is a romantic name with history. The name is unique and I feel it lends a sophisticated air without being pretentious. I think of creative, intelligent, worldly women when I hear this name. I have also heard it pronounced as Por-tee-uh which I believe is the Latin pronunciation if I am not mistaken.

I think Portia is a pretty, delicate name. I first ran across it in Julius Caesar by Shakespeare, and really liked it. It makes me think of a strong girl (like the namesake Porcia Catonis).

I don't get why the rest of the people seem to think this is a snobby name; I imagine a girl who's awkward around people who she doesn't really know well but is really bubbly and funny around her friends and family. I know that you can't tell what a person will be like by their name, but I really like the image this name creates. Also, I like that it's an ancient Roman name and that it's a Shakespearean name as well.

I think Portia sounds like a beautiful name. You think that only people who are rich, stuck-up, and egotistical can have the name, and that is -so- stereotypical. I happen to have a friend whose middle name is Portia, and she is the nicest girl I've ever met.

You think of Portia and you imagine a stuck up, know-it-all, who is most likely posh and well-off. She thinks she's better than everyone else, most likely because she is better. And doesn't she know it!

UGLY name!

I agree it sounds really pretentious, like you were trying to name your daughter after an expensive car. I know it's a different name but it sounds that way.

It's a beautiful sounding name. As to meaning pig, there was after all an entire Roman genus with the name, and it almost bears more connection to that for me than its actual meaning. But really, a lot of people seem to disregard meanings these days. One of the possible meanings of Rebecca (it's not listed here, but the origin is in some uncertainty) is "cow" which is not much better. A lot of people name based on sounds rather than meanings, and enough people "create" their own names.

Ugly is the only word that I can use to describe this name. To add to that, it also means Pig. Lovely, name your child pig. Honestly people, think of your child when you name them, not yourself.

It's only nice if you spell in "Portia" not in any of the other ways, because it looks awful then. I personally wouldn't use the name but it is very interesting. Plus, it doesn't mean "pig" it also means "offering".

This name screams pretentious/snobby when used on a child.

I thought it was a really nice name with a very nice sound, but 'pig'? Let's hope any Portias' friends don't find the meaning of it. Some teasing potential there, definitely.

From the first time I came across the name Portia in a novel it's grown on me. It's something different and I have yet to meet anyone bearing the name. When I picture a girl bearing this name I think of someone who is stubborn and who openly speaks her mind.