Pittman
English habitational name for someone from any of several places named Pitman.
Name Census estimates that about 4 living Americans carry the first name Pittman. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Pittman today is around 80 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Pittman births was 1949 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Pittman. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Pittman is about 80 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Pittmans were born before 1956.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Pittman. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
4
~ 1 in 85,688,585 Americans
Peak year
1949
6 babies that year
Average age
80
years old
1949 SSA rank
#3,614
Tracked since 1923
Popularity
Pittman: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Pittman from the 1920s through to the 1940s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 10 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1920s peak, Pittman remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Pittman by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Pittman during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Pittman
Pittman is an English given name with origins dating back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old English words "pitt" meaning a pit or hole, and "man" referring to a person. The name likely originated as an occupational surname for someone who dug pits or worked in a pit or quarry.
In the 13th century, the name "Pittman" appeared in records from various regions of England, such as Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. The earliest documented use of the name dates back to 1275, when a "William Pittman" was mentioned in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire.
During the Medieval period, the name Pittman was not uncommon among the working class and those involved in mining or quarrying activities. However, there are no known significant historical figures or religious references associated with this given name from that era.
The first notable person recorded with the given name Pittman was Sir Edward Pittman (1515-1592), an English merchant and Member of Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. He was involved in the establishment of the Muscovy Company, which traded with Russia.
Another well-known Pittman was Captain Samuel Pittman (1647-1711), an English buccaneer and pirate who operated in the Caribbean and the Atlantic. He is known for his exploits and encounters with other famous pirates of the time, such as Henry Morgan.
In the 19th century, Pittman Key (1806-1878) was a prominent American politician and lawyer who served as a United States Senator from Tennessee. He played a significant role in the debates surrounding the issues that led to the American Civil War.
Thomas Minard Pittman (1855-1927) was an American educator and politician who served as the 23rd Governor of Nevada from 1923 to 1927. He was instrumental in the development of the state's education system and the establishment of the University of Nevada.
More recently, Zion Pittman (born 1997) is an American professional basketball player who currently plays in the NBA for the Los Angeles Lakers. He has gained recognition for his athletic abilities and contributions to the team.
People
Pittman + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Pittman as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with P
Other first names starting with P with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Pittman: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Pittman?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 4 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Pittman going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 85,688,585 US residents.
Is Pittman a common name?
We classify Pittman as "Very Rare". It ranks above 6.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 16 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Pittman most popular?
The single biggest year for Pittman was 1949, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Pittman is about 80 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Pittman in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Pittman a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Pittman in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Pittman still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Pittman in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Pittman can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have Pittman as a first name?
If you just want to know how many people have the name Pittman, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.