Pittman History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• England

Etymology of Pittman

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.

Early Origins of the Pittman family

Early History of the Pittman family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Pittman research. Another 77 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Pittman History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

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.

Early Notables of the Pittman family

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.

Pittman World Ranking

In the United States, the name Pittman is the 447^th most popular surname with an estimated 62,175 people with that name. 4 However, in Newfoundland, Canada, the name Pittman is ranked the 62^nd most popular surname with an estimated 422 people with that name. 5