Surname Pitman - Meaning and Origin

Unraveling Ancestral Mysteries: How My iGENEA DNA Test Re-defined My Pitman Legacy

The revelations from the iGENEA DNA test significantly broadened my understanding of my ancestry. With unfamiliar Scandinavian lineages traced back to the Pitman name, the discovery challenged the prior conception of my roots based solely in the British Isles.

G. Pitman

Pitman: What does the surname Pitman mean?

The surname Pitman is of Anglo-Saxon origin and is an occupational name, which was given to a person who worked or lived near a pit or hollow. It derives from the Old English pre-7th Century word "pytt," meaning pit or hole, and "mann" denoting "man." The surname might indicate a man who worked in a pit such as a miner, or it could refer to somebody who lived by a hollow or depression in the terrain. The surname first appeared in records in the early 13th century in England. It is also worth noting that it is not uncommon for occupational surnames to be given to the leading servant of a trade in a particular area.

Pitman: Where does the name Pitman come from?

The surname PITMAN is most common in the United Kingdom and the United States. In the UK, it is most prevalent in the South West of England, particularly in Devon and Cornwall. In the US, the surname is found most commonly in the Eastern states, particularly in New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey.

The origins of the PITMAN surname are English and the ancient family that bore this surname possessed estates on the border of Lancashire and Yorkshire in northern England. The PITMAN surname is thought to have been derived from the name of their home, which may have referred to a field of turning stones called 'pettyman'.

Today, the surname PITMAN is popular with people in the UK, US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. There are also people with this surname in South Africa, France, Germany, Italy, and many other countries in Europe, as well as in Latin America and Asia. The popularity of the surname is likely due to its origin as an occupational surname, as 'pitman' historically meant 'a worker in a pit', indicating those family members who worked in mines, potteries, and other such industries.

Variations of the surname Pitman

The surname Pitman has both American and English roots. In American, the name is derived from the name Pitman which was an occupational surname for someone who quarried stones, and is derived from the Middle English word pete and the Old English word pic. In English, the name is derived from pitte, which was a variant of pit and was used to indicate someone living near a pit for mining coal.

The variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin for the surname Pitman include Pitman, Pitmann, Pittman, Littlepitte, Peteman, Pitters, and Pitton.

In some cases, the surname may also be spelled differently due to the influence of foreign language spellings and accents. Examples of alternate spellings of the surname Pitman include Pittmann, Petitman, Pitteman, Peteman, Pettenmann, Pitkamp, Petton, and Petton.

Additionally, variants of the same origin can be derived from different spelling variations and/or locations. These variants include Petten, Petting, Pitten, Pettin, Pittin, Petin, Petan, Putten, and Putton.

Given its English roots, some families may also have alternate spellings of Pitman such as Pyttman, Pitmynn, Pityman, Pettiman, Putman, and Pytman.

Finally, an alternate name of the same origin, which is somewhat less common, is Pitmannson. This name was created from the combination of Pitman with the applicable suffix -son.

Famous people with the name Pitman

• Harry Pitman: a professional basketball player from New Zealand, who has played for numerous teams in the NBL around Australasia.
• John Pitman: an American film producer, known for his work on the 1971 comedy film Getting Straight, starring Elliott Gould and Candice Bergen.
• Chas Pitman: an American jazz guitarist, working mainly with the acoustic guitar.
• Brad Pitman– a professional triathlete from Canada, who competed in the Ironman World Championship in 1995.
• Vic Pitman: a British oenologist and winemaker, who has produced wines from a number of regions across Europe.
• Justin Pitman: an Australian rugby league player, who represented the NSW Blues in the 2020 Origin Series.
• Gordon Pitman: an English-born Canadian academic and zoology professor at the University of Toronto, specializing in the study of Cetacea.
• Mark Pitman: a Welsh horse trainer from South Wales, who has had several Group 1 wins in the UK and Ireland.
• David Pitman– a songwriter and music producer from Australia, who has worked with numerous Australian pop singers such as Delta Goodrem, Guy Sebastian, and Jessica Mauboy.
• Jack Pitman: an American author and entrepreneur, known for his landmark books on the philosophy of modern marketing.

Other surnames

PaalPaalenPaalsPaandiPaapPaapePaaschPaaschePaaschenPaavilainenPabstPäbstPabstmannPabusPacaciPaceleyPacettiPacettyPachPachecoPachicoPachmannPachmayerPachmayrPachtelPachtellPachterPächterPaciecco