THE PITTMAN SURNAME

This is an occupational name from the Old English word Pytt meaning a "Pit, mine, deep hollow" and the Middle English word Man meaning a "worker, servant." When Man was used as a suffix, it carried the same connotation that our present word "handyman" carries.  An individual who worked in either a mine or quarry could have this name affixed to this given name for more exact identification.

Unbon Piteman lived in Norfolk in 1203, John Piteman lived in Buckinghamshire in 1273, Walter Petman lived in Kent in 1317, John Pittman and Alice Pigge obtained a marriage license, London 1620, Andrew Pitman died in 1643 and is buried in St. Dionis Backchurch cemetery in London.  Three Pittman's, two Henrys and one William, were sentenced to 10 years of hard labor on the Island of Barbados for aiding Monmouth's Rebellion in 1685.

Burke's General Armory describes the one Pitman and two Pittman arms - each different.

In Virginia, Christopher Pittman was noted in James City County in 1623.  Frances, Joseph and Thomas were noted in Accomack County in 1667.  John was noted in New Kent County in 1673.  Thomas Pittman, Jr. obtained a 100 acre grant in Surry County in 1704.  Williams Pittman obtained a 240 acre grant in the same county in 1724 in payment of 25 shillings.

Four families of Pittman's were property taxpayers in North Carolina in the period 1742-69.

Four South Carolina Pitman's served in the American Revolutionary War.

The 1790 United States Census lists one or more of the spellings Pitman and Pittman in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina and Virginia.