Puttanham History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancestors of the name Puttanham date back to the days of the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from their residence in Puttenham, a place-name found in the counties of Hertfordshire and Surrey. 1 2 Both place-names have an identical etymology. They are derived from the Old English word ham, which means farm, and either the Old English personal name Putta, or the Old English word putta, which means hawk. The place-name taken as a whole means "farm belonging to Putta," or "farm where there are hawks." 3

Early Origins of the Puttanham family

The surname Puttanham was first found in Hertfordshire at Puttenham, a small village and parish, in the union of Berkhampstead, hundred of Dacorum. 4 The parish is listed as Puteham in the Domesday Book of 1086. 5 1

Puttenham, Surrey is another parish in the First division of the hundred of Godalming. 4 The first record of this local was in 1199 when it was listed as Puteham. 3

Puttenham Priory is a large house at the eastern end of the village and dates back to 1266. St John the Baptist church "occupies a picturesque situation close to the mansion of Puttenham Priory, is in the later English style, and contains some ancient brasses." 4

One of the first records of the family was Ralph de Puteham who was listed in the Curia Regis Rolls of 1205 for Berkshire. 6Later we found Richard de Puteham in Buckinghamshire in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273. 7

Early History of the Puttanham family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Puttanham research. Another 92 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1520, 1529, 1588, 1589, 1590, 1601, 1615, 1621, 1651, 1679, 1686, 1692, 1699, 1716 and 1774 are included under the topic Early Puttanham History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Puttanham Spelling Variations

Puttanham has been spelled many different ways. Before English spelling became standardized over the last few hundred years, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. As the English language changed in the Middle Ages, absorbing pieces of Latin and French, as well as other languages, the spelling of people's names also changed considerably, even over a single lifetime. Many variations of the name Puttanham have been found, including Puttenham, Putnam, Putman and others.

Early Notables of the Puttanham family

Notables of this surname at this time include: George Puttenham (1529-1590), English writer who is the reputed author of "The Arte of English Poesie" (1589). His brother Richard Puttenham (1520?-1601?) has also been credited as the author of the same source. The issue is that the publication was issued anonymously in 1589. "The full title ran: 'The Arte of English Poesie, contrived into three bookes; the first of Poets and Poesie, the second of Proportion, the third of Ornament,' London, by Richard Field, 1589. It was licensed to Thomas Orwin on 9 Nov. 1588, and Orwin transferred it to Richard Field...
Another 143 words (10 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Puttanham Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Puttanham family

In an attempt to escape the chaos experienced in England, many English families boarded overcrowded and diseased ships sailing for the shores of North America and other British colonies. Those families hardy enough, and lucky enough, to make the passage intact were rewarded with land and a social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families became important contributors to the young colonies in which they settled. Early immigration and passenger lists have documented some of the first Puttanhams to arrive on North American shores: John Putnam, who settled in Salem in 1630; A. M. G.F. H.W. J. Putnam arrived in San Francisco in 1850; David Putnam settled in Boston in 1820; Amy Putman was banished to Barbados in 1685.

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
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)