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

Planter, 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 Planter surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Planter in America

Planter is the 78040th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Planter surname appeared 245 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 Planter.

We can also compare 2010 data for Planter 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 Planter

The surname PLANTER is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It derives from the Old French word "planteur," meaning someone who plants or cultivates crops. This occupational surname was likely first adopted by individuals whose primary trade involved tending to fields, orchards, or vineyards.

One of the earliest known references to this surname can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, which mentions a "Robert le Plantour." This record provides evidence of the name's usage and spelling variation during the 13th century.

In the 14th century, the surname appears in various forms, such as "Plantour" and "Plauntour," in tax records and court rolls from counties like Suffolk and Essex. These early records suggest that the name was particularly prevalent in the eastern regions of England during this time.

A notable figure bearing this surname was William Planter, a wealthy landowner and farmer from Hertfordshire who lived from approximately 1520 to 1589. He is mentioned in several historical documents related to land disputes and agricultural affairs in the region.

Another historically significant individual was John Planter, born in 1602 in Somerset. He was among the early English settlers who traveled to Virginia in the 1620s and played a role in the establishment of the Jamestown Colony. Records indicate that he was awarded land grants for his contributions to the colony's development.

In the 17th century, the surname Planter appears in various parish records and court documents across England, often in connection with agricultural activities or land ownership. One example is Thomas Planter, a yeoman farmer from Oxfordshire who lived from 1635 to 1712.

During the 18th century, the surname Planter became more widespread, with notable individuals such as Samuel Planter (1725-1802), a successful merchant and landowner from Gloucestershire, and Mary Planter (1748-1823), a renowned author and poet from Yorkshire.

It is worth noting that the spelling of the surname has varied over time, with variations like "Plantour," "Plauntour," "Plaunter," and "Playnter" appearing in historical records before the modern spelling of "Planter" became more standardized.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Planter

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

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

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

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