Find out how popular the last name Plake is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Plake.

Plake, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Plake surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Plake in America

Plake is the 48628th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Plake surname appeared 434 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Plake.

We can also compare 2010 data for Plake to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Plake

The surname PLAKE is believed to have originated in England, likely in the late medieval period. It is thought to be a locational surname derived from a place name, perhaps a village or hamlet that no longer exists or has become obscure over time.

One possible origin of the name PLAKE is from the Old English word "plæc," meaning a flat or level area of land. This could suggest that the earliest bearers of the surname hailed from a region with a distinctive flat landscape.

Another theory traces the name to the Old English word "placu," which referred to a small plot of land or a clearing in a wooded area. This could indicate that the PLAKE surname arose among early settlers who established homesteads in cleared areas of forests.

In terms of historical references, the earliest recorded instances of the PLAKE surname are found in various English parish records and tax rolls dating back to the 16th and 17th centuries. Some examples include John Plake, baptized in Herefordshire in 1592, and William Plake, listed in the Protestation Returns for Yorkshire in 1642.

While the PLAKE surname does not appear in the Domesday Book of 1086, there are references to places with similar-sounding names, such as Pluckley in Kent and Plackgate in Lancashire, which could be related to the origin of the surname.

One notable bearer of the PLAKE surname was Thomas Plake (1690-1753), an English clergyman and author who published several works on theology and philosophy. Another historical figure was John Plake (1734-1812), a British military officer who served in the American Revolutionary War.

Other individuals of note include Edward Plake (1801-1876), a prominent English industrialist and philanthropist, and Emily Plake (1856-1932), a British suffragette and social reformer who campaigned for women's rights.

Additionally, the PLAKE surname has been associated with various places and localities throughout England, such as Plake Farm in Derbyshire and Plake Green in Oxfordshire, further highlighting its locational origins.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Plake

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Plake.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Plake was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Plake has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Plake was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Plake, please contact us.

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