Surname Pootenham - Meaning and Origin
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Pootenham: What does the surname Pootenham mean?
The last name Pootenham is believed to be of English origin and is derived from the two place names Poulton-le-Fylde and Preston, which are located in Lancashire, England. The element “Poo” in the surname may be derived from either of the place names, and both likely share a common link to the Old English word “pool”, which translates as “pool, stream, or a marshy meadow”. Alternatively, the element “tenham” may be derived from Old English words “tun”, meaning “enclosure”, and “ham”, meaning “homestead”.
Throughout the centuries, the surname Pootenham has undergone several spelling variations including Pulton, Pultham, Poultenham, Puttenham, and Potterham. Records of the name first appear in early English census records dating from 1590. Records of a John Pulton living in the parish of St. Botolph’s in the county of London were discovered during this time.
Today, the surname Pootenham is chiefly found in the English counties of Lancashire and Cheshire. In Lancashire 12 recorded instances of the name can be found, while Cheshire has experienced a significant growth of 27 recorded instances of the name since the late 19th century. Furthermore, the name can also be found in the Isle of Man, as well as the United States of America and Canada.
Order DNA origin analysisPootenham: Where does the name Pootenham come from?
Today, the last name Pootenham can be found throughout the world. It is particularly common in the United Kingdom, where records show that the surname was first used during the 16th century. A search of the 1881 Census of England and Wales shows that over 4,000 people had the surname, primarily in the counties of Yorkshire, Lancashire and Lincolnshire.
The surname has its roots in the word “Putenhbam”, which refers to a place in Lancashire where potash was extracted and made into lye for use in soap-making. This activity was known as “putting and hammering”, and so over time the family name came to be associated with it. The area of the attainment of Putenhbam is now known as Poulton-le-Fylde.
Outside of the UK, reports suggest that the last name can be found in Barbados, Germany, and even in Sub-Saharan Africa, although exact numbers are hard to come by.
Overall, given the strong English roots of the surname, the last name Pootenham is still a fairly common one in parts of the UK and overseas, although its frequency appears to be decreasing.
Variations of the surname Pootenham
The surname Pootenham has many variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin. These include Puntenham, Pontenham, Pountenham, Pontinham, Pountingam, Pountenam, Pontingam, Pountingam, and Pountinham.
Pontingam is the oldest recorded variant of the surname, being found in records from the 12th century, while other variants of the name began to appear in the 16th and 17th centuries.
The family name may have originated from the location of Pontinham in Suffolk, England. It is believed that the family was descended from one of the local Norman tenants who spelled the family name as Pontinham.
The most common variant of the surname is Puntenham. Puntenham was the surname adopted by the famous English Judge, Sir Robert Puntenham in the 16th century. The family probably derived their name from either Puntingham, Puntington or Puntingham, which are all ancient English place names.
This variation is used by many families of the same origin, along with Pountenham, Pontenham, and Pontinham.
The variant Pountinham is also seen in English records from the 18th century. This spelling is also derived from an English place name that reflects the family's ancient origin.
The Pootenham family is thought to have originally come from England in the early 13th century. From there, they migrated to North America, where the surname is still seen today.
Famous people with the name Pootenham
- Christian Pountney: English former professional footballer who is best known for his spell at Crystal Palace in the 1970s.
- Sir John Pountney: former High Sheriff of Gloucestershire who achieved high military honours for his service in World War One.
- Geoffrey Pountney: British Royal Marine Lieutenant-General and the former Commandant-General of the Corps.
- Roland Pountney: former soldier of the British Army and the recipient of the Military Cross for bravery.
- Luke Pountney: English cricketer who currently plays for Yorkshire.
- Sir Simon Pountney: former English judge and Master of the Rolls.
- Emma Pountney: Australian actress, best known for her roles in Neighbours and Winners & Losers.
- David Pountney: British opera director, librettist, author and translator.
- Jenny Pountney: British actress who has appeared in TV shows such as Doctors, Eastenders and Hollyoaks.
- Lady Rebecca Pountney: English actress, model and singer who is best known for her roles in popular films such as La La Land and The Nutcracker.