Surname Pullam - Meaning and Origin

Pullam: What does the surname Pullam mean?

The surname Pullam is a variant of the surname Pullum, which has Anglo-Saxon origins. Derived from an Old English word 'pullen', this name may refer to a young chicken or 'poulet' in French, and thus may have been an occupational name for a poultry farmer. Another possibility is that it originated from a location, such as the hamlets of Pullam or Pulham in England. The meaning may thus be related to the phrase 'dweller by the pear tree', as Pulham could be derived from 'pool-ham'. Like many surnames, the meaning of Pullam can vary based on its historical and geographical contexts. It is always recommended to research individual family histories for a more accurate interpretation.

Pullam: Where does the name Pullam come from?

The last name Pullam is commonly found in areas across the United States. The U.S. Census Bureau has reported that over 3,000 people bear the last name, majority of whom are African American.

The earliest recorded use of Pullam dates back to 17th century Virginia, with a majority of the family eventually migrating out of the South. Today, Pullams are most commonly found in the states of Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi, and California—the latter having the greatest concentration of Pullams. It can also be found in Washington D.C., New York, and Texas.

Though mainly found in southern states due to its African American roots, Pullam is also primarily a British last name. It is an English patronymic last name derived from the given name “Paul”, which is an ancient Roman name. The Pullam surname is particularly popular in the region of Cumberland near the border of Scotland.

The last name Pullam is also quite unique in being spelled in two different ways. While the standard spelling is Pullam, it can also be found as Poolam, or sometimes even Poulom. While these variations are not uncommon, they can often be attributed to different regional dialects throughout Britain and the United States.

All in all, the Pullam last name is still quite popular today, with members of the community spread out across the United States and even the United Kingdom. It’s a unique name with African American and British heritage that spans centuries.

Variations of the surname Pullam

The surname Pullam is known to have multiple variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin due its history of being derived from a Latin word meaning "gullet or throat".

Variants of Pullam include Pullam, Pullman, Pulman, Phelan, Pullen, Pullin, Pullins, Pullum and Pullum. Similarly, Phelan and Phelon are also derived from Pullam, but with a slight phonetic variance.

Other surnames that are derivatives of the original Pullam include Pool, Poolman, Poole, Pooler, Pule, Poole, Pooley, Pooleman, Pullan, Pole, Poll, Polman, Polman, Pollman, Poulson, Polson, Poulson, Pulson, Pawlman, Phalen and Paxman.

For a long time, Pullam was primarily representative of Gaelic origins in the Irish region, although the surname is currently found in other areas, with many variations.

Furthermore, there are a few Dutch, German and French spellings of Pullam that have been adopted by the family, such as Pullma, Pullmeier, Pallman, Pellman, Pollmann, Pulmanod, Poulman and so on.

The Pullam surname may also include variations in its spelling. For instance, Pullam can be expressed as Pullam, Pullom, Poleman, Pollman, Pullam, Puallam, Pullem, Pullim, Pullum, Pylle, Pyllem, Poolam, Poleme, Polam, Pullen or Puulam.

It is believed that the Latin origin of Pullam gives the surname the potential to produce numerous derivatives and spellings. Therefore each individual with this surname can have various forms of the same name.

Famous people with the name Pullam

• Chet Pulliam: American football player
• George Pullam: Major League Baseball player.
• Vic Pullam: British singer-songwriter
• Charles Pullam: American rower and Olympic bronze medalist
• Joshua Pullam: American artist
• Robert Pullam: British civil engineer
• Tony Pullam: Australian footballer
• Ryan Pullam: American college basketball player
• David Pullam: American minister
• Ashley Pullam: British Paralympic swimmer

Other surnames

Pullan