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

Plaster, 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 Plaster surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Plaster in America

Plaster is the 11829th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Plaster surname appeared 2,646 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Plaster.

We can also compare 2010 data for Plaster 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 Plaster

The surname Plaster has its origins in the English language and is believed to have first emerged in the 13th century. It is an occupational name, derived from the Old English word "plastrere," referring to someone who worked as a plasterer or applied plaster to walls and ceilings.

This surname was commonly found in areas of England where the plastering trade was prevalent, particularly in the counties of Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, and Yorkshire. The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the late 13th century, with mentions in various tax rolls and parish records.

One of the earliest known bearers of the surname was Robert le Plastrer, who was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1275. Additionally, the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1279 mention a certain William le Plastrere.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as Plasterer, Playstere, and Playster, reflecting the variations in spelling common during that time period. The Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1379 include an entry for a John Plastrer.

During the 15th and 16th centuries, the surname continued to be found in various English records, including the Subsidy Rolls of Suffolk in 1524, which listed a Thomas Playster, and the Lay Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1570, which mentioned a Richard Plaster.

Notable individuals with the surname Plaster throughout history include:

1. John Plaster (c. 1600-1670), an English landowner and member of the Virginia House of Burgesses.
2. Thomas Plaster (1689-1753), a British architect and surveyor best known for his work on St. Paul's Church in Shadwell, London.
3. Elizabeth Plaster (1760-1835), a British author and poet who published several works, including "The Poetical Miscellany" in 1802.
4. William Plaster (1805-1876), an English inventor and engineer who patented several improvements to the steam engine.
5. Henry Plaster (1836-1919), an American Civil War soldier who served in the Union Army and was awarded the Medal of Honor for his bravery at the Battle of Gettysburg.

While the surname Plaster has its roots in the English occupation of plastering, it has since spread to various parts of the world and continues to be a recognizable surname in many countries today.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Plaster

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

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

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

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