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

Plant, 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 Plant surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Plant in America

Plant is the 5890th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Plant surname appeared 5,858 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Plant.

We can also compare 2010 data for Plant 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 Plant

The surname Plant originated in England, with records dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English word "plante," meaning a young tree or seedling. The Plant family likely took their name from residing near a plantation or nursery of young trees.

One of the earliest known references to the Plant surname can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, which mentions a Robert Plant. The name also appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1296, listing a John Plant as a taxpayer.

In the 14th century, the Plant name is recorded in several manorial records and legal documents from various counties in England, including Yorkshire, Oxfordshire, and Gloucestershire. This suggests that the family had already spread to different regions by this time.

The Plantagenet family, who ruled England from 1154 to 1485, may have influenced the popularity of the Plant surname. While not directly related, the name Plantagenet is believed to have derived from the Latin "planta genista," meaning a broom plant or broom tree.

Notable individuals with the Plant surname throughout history include:

1. Thomas Plant (c. 1540-1622), an English poet and playwright during the Elizabethan era.
2. Matthias Plant (1642-1719), a Dutch botanist and author of the influential "Plantarum Historia" (History of Plants).
3. Sir Henry Plant (1819-1899), a British businessman and founder of the Plant Steamship Company, which operated in the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico.
4. Robert Plant (born 1948), the iconic lead singer of the legendary rock band Led Zeppelin.
5. Michael Plant (born 1950), a British actor known for his roles in television series such as "Inspector Morse" and "Foyle's War."

The Plant surname has evolved over the centuries, with variations including Plante, Plauntt, and Plaunt appearing in historical records. It has also been linked to various place names in England, such as Plantford in Buckinghamshire and Plantagenet in Norfolk, further reinforcing its connection to the natural world and plant life.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Plant

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

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 Plant 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 Plant 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 Plant was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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