Putnum as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Putnum

What is the meaning of the name Putnum ?

The baby name Putnum is a Male name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈpʌtnəm/ (PUT-num).

Putnum is English in Origin.

Putnum is a rare given name derived from the English surname Putnam, a habitational surname linked to villages called Puttenham in Hertfordshire and Surrey. The root elements are Old English pytt (“pit”) and ham or hamm (“homestead, enclosure, water meadow”), yielding the sense “settlement by a pit or hollow.” Putnum represents a later Americanized spelling; it also overlaps with the Dutch surname Putman (“well/pit man”), which sometimes influenced colonial spellings.

Carried to New England in the 1600s, the Putnam family became prominent; Revolutionary War hero Israel Putnam and the publishing house G. P. Putnam’s Sons kept the name visible. As a first name, Putnum/Putnam surfaced in the 18th–19th centuries as a family-honor choice and remains uncommon today. Variants and related forms include Putnam (standard), Putman, Puttenham, and the rarer Puttnam; meaning centers on residence near a pit, well, or enclosed meadow.

⚙ Putnum does not appear in any of the birth registries or name datasets we track. This usually means it's either extremely rare, a regional/traditional name not captured by official statistics, or a brand-new coinage. Use it knowing your child will almost certainly be the only one in the room.