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Putt History Etymology Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Motto Citations

Putt History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland

Etymology of Putt

What does the name Putt mean?

The name Putt is of Anglo-Saxon origin and came from Phillip. A common medieval English form of the name Phillip is Philpot. This form was often shortened to the diminutive form Pot or Pott. It is from this form of Phillip that the surname Putt is derived. The personal name Phillip was popular thanks to the influence of St. Phillip, one of the twelve apostles of Christ. 1

There is, however, another possible etymology, that better explains some instances of the name. Pott was an Old English word which meant hole or pit. It was sometimes used topographically to indicate residence near such a geographical feature. This makes this surname polygenetic; that is, derived from more than one source and having more than one initial bearer.

Early Origins of the Putt family

The surname Putt was first found in Hampshire where Godwin Pot was registered at Winton in 1115. Years later, Richard Pott was listed in the Liber Wintoniensis of Cambridgeshire c. 1150 and later again, Petronilla Potes was registered in the Court Rolls of Colchester in 1311, as was Roger Potte in 1352. 2

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 proved the family was scattered throughout ancient Britain: Colin Pot in Lincolnshire; Richard Pot in Essex; Reginald Pot in Huntingdonshire; and William Pote in Norfolk. 1

Richard de la Potte, Attepotte was listed in the Curia Regis Rolls for Sussex in 1221 and later in 1228; Gilbert atte Potte was found in the Subsidy Rolls for Surrey in 1332; and Margaret atte Potte was found in the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex in 1296. 2 Another source claims "Potts was the name of an old Northumbrian clan." 3

And still father to the north in Scotland, "Richard Pott in Eskdaill was charged with the theft of four cows in 1513, and Thomas Pot in Reddene and Rafe (Ralph) Pott in Kelso are in record in 1567." 4

The Poot and Poots variants are "now numerous in Ulster most of which, though not sufficiently well established to be classed as 'principal names' in the co-called census of 1659, were already to be found in that province at that time." This noted author goes on to cite the name as being ultimately of English origin. 5

Early History of the Putt family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Putt research. Another 111 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1592, 1605, 1612, 1618, 1640, 1641, 1644, 1648, 1660, 1673, 1675, 1686 and 1721 are included under the topic Early Putt History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Putt Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Putt include Potts, Pott, Pot, Poot and others.

Early Notables of the Putt family

Notables of the family at this time include

Sir Thomas Putt, 1st Baronet (1644-1686) of Combe in the County of Devon, Member of Parliament for Honiton; and his son Sir Thomas Putt, 2nd Baronet (c. 1675-1721); Sir William Pott of Norfolk; Sir Jo...

Putt Ranking

In the United States, the name Putt is the 11,797^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 6

Putt migration to the United States +

A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants:

Putt Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

William Putt, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1760 7

Putt Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Wm. Putt, aged 23, who settled in America from England, in 1893

Putt Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Sarah Putt, aged 45, who immigrated to America from Salcombo, England, in 1907
Frank Hugh Putt, aged 24, who immigrated to the United States from London, England, in 1908
James Poole Putt, aged 50, who immigrated to the United States from Brixham, England, in 1912
Richard Putt, aged 32, who landed in America from Covenlig, England, in 1913
Helen Putt, aged 31, who settled in America from Covenlig, England, in 1913
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Putt migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Putt Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Richard Putt, English convict who was convicted in Devon, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Elphinstone" on 27th May 1837, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 8
James Putt, aged 25, a farm labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1859 aboard the ship "James Jardine"

Putt migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Putt Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Charles Putt, aged 16, who arrived in Lyttelton, New Zealand aboard the ship "Apelles" in 1874
Maria Putt, aged 39, who arrived in Lyttelton, New Zealand aboard the ship "Apelles" in 1874

Contemporary Notables of the name Putt (post 1700) +

Warren A. Putt, American Republican politician, Postmaster at Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, 1953-65 (acting, 1953-54) 9
Jerry Ann Putt, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Connecticut, 2000 9
Archibald Putt (b. 1981), pseudonym of the book Putt's Law and the Successful Technocrat
Margaret Ann "Peg" Putt (b. 1953), former Australian politician and parliamentary leader of the Tasmanian Greens

Historic Events for the Putt family +

HMS Repulse

Mr. Roy E Putt, British Cook, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and survived the sinking 10

The Putt Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Fortis et astutus
Motto Translation: Bold and Crafty.

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
MacLysaght, Edward, The Surnames of Ireland. Ireland: Irish Academic Press, sixth edition, 1985. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-2366-3)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 18th March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elphinstone
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, February 3) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
HMS Repulse Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listrepulsecrew.html