This name appears to be locational and derives from 'Putta's Laud' - with Putta meaning the Kite, as in the bird, an Olde English personal name from the pre 7th Century. The suffix is more puzzling as we have not been able to find any recording of the name in the surname research period 1066 - 1640 which strongly suggests that the present spelling is a dialectual transposition from the original 'Putta-hamm' which means the same thing ie. Putta's farm or fields which is also the origination of Puttnam or Putnam. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Richard de Puteham which was dated 1273 The Hundred Rolls of Buckingham during the reign of King Edward 1 The Hammer of the Scots 1272 - 1307 Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.