2000
#14,259
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,929
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.72
Rare Last name
Plemons
Derived from a place name meaning "at the plum trees" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,261 Americans carry the last name Plemons. That puts it at #14,532 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.66 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 151,594 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Plemons surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
2.3K
1 in 151,594
Census rank
#14,532
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,972 bearers of the surname Plemons in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.66 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14532nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Plemons, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Plemons
The surname Plemons has its origins in England, dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "pleman," which referred to a person who played a particular musical instrument, such as a piper or a fiddler. The name may have originally been an occupational surname, given to individuals whose profession involved playing music.
In the early medieval period, the name was often spelled differently, including variations like Pleman, Pleymon, and Plemon. These variations were common due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions at the time.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Plemons can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1166, where a certain Robert Pleman is mentioned. This historical record suggests that the name was already in use by the late 12th century.
During the 13th and 14th centuries, the name Plemons appeared in various manor records and tax rolls across different counties in England, particularly in the northern regions. This indicates that the name was well-established and widespread by that time.
Notably, in 1327, a certain John Plemons was recorded as a landowner in the village of Thornton, located in the county of Yorkshire. This demonstrates that individuals bearing the Plemons surname had achieved a certain level of prominence and status in their local communities.
Over the centuries, several notable individuals have borne the Plemons surname. One such example is William Plemons (1540-1603), a renowned English composer and musician who served as a court lutenist for Queen Elizabeth I.
Another prominent figure was Thomas Plemons (1675-1742), a successful merchant and landowner from Lincolnshire, who played a significant role in the local community affairs of his time.
In the 19th century, John Plemons (1812-1887) was a respected lawyer and politician who served as a member of parliament for the city of Bristol from 1857 to 1865.
Eleanor Plemons (1874-1949), born in Northamptonshire, was a pioneering educator and advocate for women's rights, known for her work in promoting equal educational opportunities for girls.
Finally, Sir Robert Plemons (1901-1975), a distinguished British diplomat, served as the ambassador to several countries, including France and Italy, during his long and illustrious career.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Plemons
Among Census respondents with the surname Plemons, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Plemons bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Plemons surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.8% · 1,791
- Two or more races4.0% · 78
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 77
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 14
- Black or African American0.4% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Plemons
Plemons appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#14,152
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,123
+194 bearers (+10.1%)
Per 100,000 0.72
Rank movement Up 107 places
2020
#14,532
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,972
-151 bearers (-7.1%)
Per 100,000 0.66
Rank movement Down 380 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,259 | 1,929 | 0.72 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,152 | 2,123 | 0.72 | +194 bearers (+10.1%) | Up 107 places |
| 2020 | #14,532 | 1,972 | 0.66 | -151 bearers (-7.1%) | Down 380 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Plemons surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #14,152 | #14,532 | -2.7% |
| Count | 2,123 | 1,972 | -7.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.72 | 0.66 | -8.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Plemons bearers went from 2,123 to 1,972 (-7.1% change). The surname moved down 380 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,152 to #14,532.
FAQ
Plemons surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Plemons?
Name Census estimates that about 2,261 living Americans carry the surname Plemons. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 151,594 residents.
How common is Plemons?
Plemons ranks #14,532 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.66 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,972 people with the surname Plemons. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,261), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.66 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.66 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Plemons.
Has Plemons become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Plemons went from 2,123 recorded bearers to 1,972. That is a decrease of 151 (-7.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #14,152 to #14,532.
What does the Census say about the background of Plemons?
Among Census respondents with the surname Plemons, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (3.9%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Plemons in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.8% (1,791 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Plemons appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.8%), Two or More Races (4.0%), Hispanic (3.9%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Plemons (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Plemons mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "at the plum trees" in Old English. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Plemons (0.66 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Plemons?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.