Putnam Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Putnam last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Putnam last name
Meaning of the Putnam last name: putta's homestead. Putnam is an English surname from Puttenham in Hertfordshire and Surrey, from an Old English personal name Putta and ham, "homestead". The last name crossed to Salem, Massachusetts in the 1640s. Israel Putnam was a general at the Battle of Bunker Hill.
Arms associated with the Putnam name
Heraldry associated with the Putnam surname uses a few strong colours, and each coat of arms has its own blazon.
Get your full Putnam family history
This is only a glimpse of the Putnam story. The full Putnam history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Putnam coat of arms. Get the full Putnam report.
Putnam name FAQ
What does the Putnam name mean?
Putta's homestead. Common variants include Puttenham, Putman.
Where does the Putnam surname come from?
It originates in England, and is also found in the United States, Canada and Australia.
Is there a Putnam coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Putnam coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: Reaney & Wilson, Dictionary of English Surnames; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).