2000
#109,328
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 150
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Puttman
An occupational surname denoting someone involved in the trade of wine production.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Puttman. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Puttman surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Puttman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Puttman, the largest self-reported group is White at 70.8%. The next largest groups are Black (24.8%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Puttman
The surname PUTTMAN is of English origin, originating in the late 12th century. It is derived from the Old English words "putt" meaning a hole or pit, and "mann" meaning a man or person. The name likely referred to someone who lived near or worked with pits or holes, possibly as a digger or well-builder.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1194, where a William Putteman is mentioned. The name also appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1275, with a reference to a Richard Putman.
The name PUTTMAN has several variations in spelling, including Putman, Putnam, and Pittman, which can be found in various historical records across England. These variations likely arose due to regional dialects and the inconsistencies in spelling during that time period.
In the 16th century, the name PUTTMAN was associated with several notable individuals. One such person was John Putnam (c. 1580-1662), who was among the early Puritan settlers of Salem, Massachusetts, and served as a landowner and farmer in the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
Another prominent figure with this surname was Israel Putnam (1718-1790), a celebrated American army officer and Revolutionary War hero. He played a crucial role in several major battles, including the Battle of Bunker Hill and the Battle of Long Island.
The PUTTMAN name can also be traced back to the village of Puttenham in Surrey, England. This place name likely derived from the Old English words "putt" and "ham," meaning a settlement near a pit or hole. It is possible that some individuals with the surname PUTTMAN may have originated from this area.
In the 19th century, a notable bearer of the PUTTMAN name was George Palmer Putnam (1814-1872), an American publisher and founder of the publishing firm G. P. Putnam's Sons. He played a significant role in the development of the American publishing industry and was responsible for publishing works by prominent authors such as Edgar Allan Poe and Harriet Beecher Stowe.
Another individual of note was Mary Putnam Jacobi (1842-1906), a pioneering American physician and advocate for women's rights. She was the first woman to be admitted to the École de Médecine in Paris and was a vocal supporter of women's education and equality in the medical profession.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Puttman
Among Census respondents with the surname Puttman, the largest self-reported group is White at 70.8%. The next largest groups are Black (24.8%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Puttman bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Puttman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White70.8% · 80
- Black or African American24.8% · 28
- Two or more races2.7% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Puttman
Puttman appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#152,628
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
-43 bearers (-28.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 43,300 places
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
+6 bearers (+5.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 5,407 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #109,328 | 150 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #152,628 | 107 | 0.04 | -43 bearers (-28.7%) | Down 43,300 places |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.6%) | Up 5,407 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Puttman surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #152,628 | #147,221 | 3.5% |
| Count | 107 | 113 | 5.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Puttman bearers went from 107 to 113 (+5.6% change). The surname moved up 5,407 positions in the national ranking, going from #152,628 to #147,221.
FAQ
Puttman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Puttman?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Puttman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Puttman?
Puttman ranks #147,221 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 113 people with the surname Puttman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Puttman.
Has Puttman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Puttman went from 107 recorded bearers to 113. That is an increase of 6 (+5.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #152,628 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Puttman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Puttman, the largest self-reported group is White at 70.8%. The next largest groups are Black (24.8%) and Two or More Races (2.7%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Puttman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 70.8% (80 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Puttman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (70.8%), Black (24.8%), Two or More Races (2.7%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Puttman (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Puttman mean?
An occupational surname denoting someone involved in the trade of wine production. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Puttman (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Puttman?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Puttman on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.