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

Pleas, 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 Pleas surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pleas in America

Pleas is the 30509th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pleas surname appeared 765 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 Pleas.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pleas 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 Pleas

The surname Pleas originated in England during the medieval period, likely derived from the Old French word "pleis," which means "hedge" or "enclosure." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a hedge or enclosure, or perhaps someone who worked as a hedger.

The name can be traced back to the 13th century, with one of the earliest recorded instances being Robert de la Plesse, who was mentioned in the Hundredorum Rolls of Bedfordshire in 1273. This document, compiled during the reign of Edward I, was a survey of landholders in England.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as Plaissh,Playse, and Plash, reflecting the variations in spelling and pronunciation common during that time. One notable bearer of the name was John Plaissh, a merchant from London who was recorded in the city's records in 1371.

The Pleas surname is also found in the Domesday Book, a manuscript commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086 to record the landowners and their holdings throughout England. This suggests that the name has Norman French roots and may have been introduced to England by Norman settlers after the conquest of 1066.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name continued to be documented in various parts of England. One notable individual was Sir Hugh Pleas (c. 1550-1629), a wealthy merchant and landowner from Gloucestershire who served as a Member of Parliament and was knighted by King James I.

Another prominent figure with the Pleas surname was John Pleas (1651-1733), a Puritan minister and author from Suffolk. He wrote several religious works and was known for his fiery sermons against the Church of England's perceived heresies.

In the 18th century, the name spread to other parts of the British Isles, including Ireland and Scotland. One notable bearer was James Pleas (1760-1842), a Scottish businessman and entrepreneur who established a successful textile manufacturing company in Glasgow.

Other noteworthy individuals with the Pleas surname include Samuel Pleas (1822-1898), an English artist and illustrator renowned for his landscape paintings and engravings, and Mary Pleas (1865-1932), a prominent suffragette and activist from Yorkshire who campaigned for women's right to vote.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pleas

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!