Find out how popular the last name Putman is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Putman.

Putman, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Putman surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Putman in America

Putman is the 3924th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Putman surname appeared 9,058 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Putman.

We can also compare 2010 data for Putman to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Putman

The surname Putman is believed to have originated in England during the Anglo-Saxon period. It is derived from the Old English words "put" meaning a pit or hole, and "mann" meaning a man or person. The name likely referred to someone who lived near a pit or worked as a digger of holes or pits.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Putman can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of land and property ownership commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears as "Puteman" in this historical record.

In the 13th century, variations of the name such as "Putman" and "Pittman" can be found in various county records across England, particularly in areas like Norfolk, Suffolk, and Essex. These variations likely arose due to regional dialects and spelling differences at the time.

During the medieval period, the name Putman was also associated with certain place names. For example, the village of Puttenham in Surrey, England, was once known as "Puttenheth" or "Puttenehuthe," which may have contributed to the development of the surname Putman in that area.

One notable individual with the surname Putman was John Putman, a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses in the 17th century. He was born in England around 1625 and immigrated to Virginia, where he became a prominent figure in colonial politics.

Another historical figure was Sir George Putman, an English soldier and politician who lived from 1614 to 1690. He served as a member of Parliament and played a role in the English Civil War, fighting for the Parliamentarian forces.

In the 18th century, the Putman surname was also found in Scotland, with records showing individuals like Robert Putman, a merchant in Glasgow born in 1735.

One of the earliest known instances of the surname in the United States was Thomas Putman, who was born in England around 1615 and settled in Salem, Massachusetts in the 1630s. He became a prominent member of the Salem community and had several descendants who carried on the Putman name.

Another notable American with the surname was Rufus Putman, a soldier who fought in the American Revolutionary War. He was born in Connecticut in 1738 and served in several major battles, including the Battle of Monmouth and the Battle of Yorktown.

Throughout history, the surname Putman has undergone various spelling variations, including Pittman, Putnam, Puttman, and Pudman, among others. Despite these variations, the name has maintained its connection to its Old English roots and the association with pits or holes.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Putman

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Putman.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Putman was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Putman has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Putman was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Putman, please contact us.

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