Porter is an English surname meaning “gatekeeper, doorkeeper” from Old French portier via Latin porta meaning “gate”; it was an occupational name for someone who was a gatekeeper of a town or a large house. Porter could also refer to someone who carried loads for a living with their own strength rather than a cart or a horse, another… Continue reading Porter
Usage: English Yates is an English surname, the plural form of Yate which comes from Old English geat meaning "gate", a topographical name for someone who lived near the gates of a walled city or an occupationl name for someone who was a gatekeeper. It could also have been used as a locational surname referring… Continue reading Yates
Origin: Japanese Yamaguchi is a Japanese surname meaning "mountain entrance" or "mountain gateway" (山口).
A History of Surnames 