The Putnam surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 18,340 people carried this name — #1,971 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 16,100 people counted. That is up 2% from 17,990 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Putnam surname

A reduced variant of Puttenham.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Putnam» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a local name, from where the family lived: ‘of Puttenham’.

An early record he cites: Richard de Puteham, 1273 — Hundred Rolls.

His entry covers Putman and Putnam.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 627 · public domain.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

229 families named Putnam, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 1,455 people lived in those households, 6.4 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 4 other spellings. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

Massachusetts 103
New York 40
New Hampshire 30
Vermont 24
Connecticut 8
South Carolina 7
Pennsylvania 5
Maine 3
Rhode Island 3
Maryland 2
Virginia 2
North Carolina 2

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 258 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Putnam in American newspapers,
1871–1924.

Newspaper page from The Oasis carrying the name Putnam
The Oasis 1899-11-18
Newspaper page from East St. Louis Daily Journal carrying the name Putnam
East St. Louis Daily Journal 1924-07-27
Newspaper page from Daily Kennebec Journal carrying the name Putnam
Daily Kennebec Journal 1871-05-05

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 11,587 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Putnam in Australian newspapers,
1840s–1990s.

8,725 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Putnam. The most, 4,162, date from the 1930s. Victoria has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in the Australian Capital Territory, at 2.4 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Victoria 3,377
New South Wales 2,182
Queensland 1,691
Western Australia 502
South Australia 474
Tasmania 364
ACT (Canberra) 73
Northern Territory 20

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Putnam.

Who carried it

People named Putnam,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Israel Putnam
    Israel Putnam 1718–1790 · major general
  • William Putnam d. 1807
  • John Putnam 1580–1662
  • Thomas Putnam 1651–1699
  • Ann Putnam 1662–1699
  • Elisha Hale Putnam 1685–1745

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Putnam,
in the records of 5 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States1,594 records

1,594 records of the Putnam name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 634
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 298
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 267
  • New York State death index (outside NYC), 1957–2001 264
  • U.S. alien registration index, 1940–1955 75
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 47
  • Sacramento County historic burials 5
  • U.S. service members who died in the Vietnam War 3
  • U.S. service members who died in the Korean War 1
  1. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Charles Richard Putnam

    Born 1932; from Columbus, Georgia. U.S. Army, indirect fire infantryman; killed in action 1967 in Long An, South Vietnam. Buried at Fort Benning Post Cemetery, Georgia.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Royal A. Putnam

    Born 1916 in Texas. Enlisted 1941 at Fort Sam Houston; secondary school teacher. U.S. Air Force veteran of World War II; died 1998, buried at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery, Texas.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Mary L. Putnam

    Arrived at New York in 1872 aboard the Algeria from Liverpool, aged 60; matron.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 1,594 records for Putnam in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Canada228 records

228 records of the Putnam name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 222
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 4
  • City of Waterloo (Ontario) cemetery records 1
  • City of Winnipeg cemetery records 1
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record James Putnam

    Died 1874 in Maitland, Hants, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Arthur Thos Putnam

    Died 1913; buried at Brookside Cemetery, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

    City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg.
  3. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record Frank Douglas Putnam

    Died in service in 1945.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.

Showing 3 of 228 records for Putnam in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · Contains information provided by the City of Waterloo under licence · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0).

Australia41 records

41 records of the Putnam name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 17
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 14
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 7
  • Tasmanian Names Index 3
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Alice Putnam

    Arrived in Queensland in 1902 aboard the Duke of Norfolk, aged 30.

    Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Geoffrey Arnold Putnam

    Gentleman of Hawthorn, Victoria; died 1990.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Charles Dunlop Putnam

    Married 1904 in Holy Trinity Church, Launceston, Tasmania.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 41 records for Putnam in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain).

New Zealand5 records

5 records of the Putnam name in New Zealand
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 4
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Elizabeth Putnam

    Died 1929, aged 72; buried at Bromley Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the Livre d’or of the French war dead, Paris
    Example: roll of the war dead
    War record P. Putnam

    New Zealand Infantry. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Leonard William Putnam

    Died 1908, aged 25; buried at Linwood Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 5 records for Putnam in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); Livre d’or of the war dead, Paris, Ministère des pensions, Archives nationales (CC0).

United Kingdom2 records

2 records of the Putnam name in the United Kingdom War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead
  1. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record H. Putnam

    Army Ordnance Corps. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record S. Putnam

    Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Putnam.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Putnam is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

See the Putnam volume
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