Platt
A German surname transferred to forename use meaning "flat" or "level".
Name Census estimates that about 0 living Americans carry the first name Platt. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Platt today is around 0 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Platt births was 1920 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Platt. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Platt. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
0
~ - Americans
Peak year
1920
5 babies that year
Average age
-
1920 SSA rank
#4,818
Tracked since 1920
Popularity
Platt: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Platt by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Platt during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1920s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Platt
The name Platt has its roots in the Middle English language, deriving from the Old French word "plat," which means "flat" or "level." This name likely originated in areas of present-day France and England during the medieval period, around the 12th to 15th centuries.
Platt was initially used as a descriptive surname, referring to someone who lived on or near a flat or level piece of land. Over time, it transitioned into a given name, particularly in English-speaking regions. The earliest recorded instances of Platt as a first name can be traced back to the 16th century in England.
One of the earliest notable individuals with the name Platt was Platt Venner, an English Puritan minister and writer who lived from 1587 to 1649. He was known for his religious works and sermons published during the 17th century.
Another historical figure with the name Platt was Platt Coler, an American politician and lawyer who served as a member of the New York State Assembly from 1874 to 1875. He was born in 1844 and played a significant role in the political landscape of New York during the latter half of the 19th century.
In the field of literature, Platt Rogers Spencer (1800-1864) was an American author and educator, renowned for his contributions to the development of the Spencerian method of handwriting and calligraphy.
Platt Babbitt (1823-1900) was an American inventor and manufacturer, best known for his pioneering work in the development of babbitt metal, an alloy used in bearings and other mechanical applications.
Lastly, Platt Pettit (1883-1944) was an American stage and film actor who appeared in numerous Broadway productions and silent films during the early 20th century. His career spanned several decades, and he was a prominent figure in the entertainment industry of his time.
While the name Platt may not be as common today, it has a rich historical lineage, with individuals bearing this name leaving their mark in various fields throughout the centuries.
People
Platt + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Platt as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with P
Other first names starting with P with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Platt: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Platt?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 0 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Platt going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about - US residents.
Is Platt a common name?
We classify Platt as "Very Rare". It ranks above 2.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Platt most popular?
The single biggest year for Platt was 1920, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Platt is about 0 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Platt in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Platt a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Platt in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Platt still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Platt in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Platt can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people share the name Platt?
Want to know how many people share the name Platt? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.