Pittman Surname, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

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The distinguished surname Pittman emerged among the industrious people of Flanders, which was an important trading partner and political ally of Britain during the Middle Ages. As a result of the frequent commercial intercourse between the Flemish and English nations, many Flemish migrants settled in Britain. In early times, people were known by only a single name. However, as the population grew and people traveled further afield, it became increasingly necessary to assume an additional name to differentiate between bearers of the same personal name. The manner in which hereditary surnames arose is interesting. Local surnames are derived from where the original bearer lived, was born, or held land. Flemish surnames of this type frequently are prefixed by de la or de le, which mean of the or from the. The Pittman family originally lived in any low-lying area resembling a pit or hollows. The surname Pittman is derived from the Old English words pytt, which means pit, and mann, which means man. The surname Pittman belongs to the class of topographic surnames, which were given to people who resided near physical features such as hills, streams, churches, or types of trees.

Pittman Early Origins

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The surname Pittman was first found in Devon, but we must look to Normandy, France to find the earliest record of the name. There we found Maingot Piteman who was listed in 1198 in the Magnum Rotulum Scaccarii Normanniae... Uban Piteman was listed in the Assize Rolls of Norfolk in 1203 and John Piteman was listed in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 in Buckinghamshire.

Pittman Spelling Variations

Flemish surnames are characterized by a large number of spelling variations. One reason for this is that medieval English lacked definite spelling rules. The spellings of surnames were also influenced by the official court languages, which were French and Latin. Names were rarely spelled consistently in medieval times. Scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to specific spelling rules, and people often had their names registered in several different forms throughout their lives. One of the greatest reasons for change is the linguistic uniqueness of the Flemish settlers in England, who spoke a language closely related to Dutch. The pronunciation and spelling of Flemish names were often altered to suit the tastes of English-speaking people. In many cases, the first, final, or middle syllables of surnames were eliminated. The name has been spelled Pitman, Pittman and others.

Pittman Early History

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Pittman research. Another 153 words (11 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Pittman History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Pittman Early Notables (pre 1700)

Another 31 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Pittman Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

The Great Migration

Discovered in the immigration and passenger lists were a number of people bearing the name Pittman:

Pittman Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Christo Pittman, who landed in Virginia in 1622
Christopher Pittman, who came to Virginia in 1623
Sarah Pittman, who settled in New England in 1635
Elizabeth Pittman, who came to Virginia in 1663
John Pittman, who arrived in Maryland in 1668
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Pittman Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

M Pittman, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1851

Pittman Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Henry Pittman arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Hooghly" in 1839
Ann Pittman arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Hooghly" in 1839
Caroline Pittman arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Hooghly" in 1839
Emilia Pittman arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Hooghly" in 1839
John Pittman arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Hooghly" in 1839

Contemporary Notables of the name Pittman (post 1700)

Joseph Wayne "Joe" Pittman (1954-2014), nicknamed Shoes, an American Major League Baseball backup infielder/outfielder who played from 1981 to 1984
Claude F. Pittman Jr., American politician, Mayor of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, 1962-65
Claude F. Pittman Sr., American politician, Mayor of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, 1961-62; Resigned 1962
Claude C. Pittman, American politician, Member of Georgia State Senate, 1950
Charles Pittman, American Democrat politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Georgia, 2004
Carl Shepard Pittman, American politician, Member of Georgia State House of Representatives from Tift County, 1949-50
Anastasia Pittman, American Democrat politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Oklahoma, 2008
Dennis Pittman, American Republican politician, Candidate for Presidential Elector for Michigan, 2012
Edwin L. Pittman, American Democrat politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Mississippi, 1980
Frank Pittman, American Democrat politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from North Carolina, 1956
... (Another 21 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Pittman Family Crest Products

Citations

^ The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
^ Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
^ Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)

Other References

Sanders, Joanne McRee Edition. English Settlers in Barbados 1637-1800. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing. Print.
Ingram, Rev. James. Translator Anglo-Saxon Chronicle 1823. Print.
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin . Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8).
Hinde, Thomas Ed. The Domesday Book England's Heritage Then and Now. Surrey: Colour Library Books, 1995. Print. (ISBN 1-85833-440-3).
Markale, J. Celtic Civilization. London: Gordon & Cremonesi, 1976. Print.
Burke, Sir Bernard. General Armory Of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales. Ramsbury: Heraldry Today. Print.
Skordas, Guest. Ed. The Early Settlers of Maryland an Index to Names or Immigrants Complied from Records of Land Patents 1633-1680 in the Hall of Records Annapolis, Maryland. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1968. Print.
Innes, Thomas and Learney. The Tartans of the Clans and Families of Scotland 1st Edition. Edinburgh: W & A. K. Johnston Limited, 1938. Print.
Crozier, William Armstrong Edition. Crozier's General Armory A Registry of American Families Entitled to Coat Armor. New York: Fox, Duffield, 1904. Print.
Crispin, M. Jackson and Leonce Mary. Falaise Roll Recording Prominent Companions of William Duke of Normandy at the Conquest of England. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing. Print.
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The Pittman Family Crest was acquired from the Houseofnames.com archives. The Pittman Family Crest was drawn according to heraldic standards based on published blazons. We generally include the oldest published family crest once associated with each surname.

This page was last modified on 21 October 2015 at 11:58.