2010
#145,220
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Plescher
A German surname derived from the word for a plait or braid maker.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Plescher. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Plescher 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
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Plescher in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Plescher, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.8%) and Black (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Plescher
The surname Plescher is believed to have originated from the German region of Pfalz, located in the southwestern part of Germany. It is thought to have derived from the German word "Pflanzer," which translates to "planter" or "farmer." This suggests that the earliest bearers of the name were likely involved in agricultural activities or perhaps owned or cultivated land.
One of the earliest known references to the name Plescher can be found in the "Codex Diplomaticus Anhaltinus," a collection of historical documents from the Anhalt region of Germany, dating back to the 12th century. In this record, a person named "Henricus Plescher" is mentioned in connection with a land transaction in the village of Bitterfeld.
During the medieval period, the name Plescher can be found in various records and manuscripts from the Pfalz region, often appearing in slightly different spellings such as "Plesser," "Plesscher," or "Pleschner." This variation in spelling was common in those times due to the lack of standardized orthography.
One notable historical figure with the surname Plescher was Johann Plescher, a German mathematician and astronomer born in 1583 in the city of Heidelberg. He made significant contributions to the field of astronomy and published several works, including "Ephemerides Novae" in 1609.
Another individual worth mentioning is Konrad Plescher, a German painter and engraver who lived in the 16th century. He was known for his intricate woodcuts and engravings, many of which depicted religious scenes and biblical narratives.
In the 17th century, a man named Hans Plescher gained recognition as a skilled clockmaker in the town of Freiburg im Breisgau. His clocks were highly regarded for their craftsmanship and precision, and some of his works can still be found in museums and private collections today.
During the 18th century, the Plescher family had a presence in the town of Neustadt an der Weinstraße, where they were involved in various trades and professions. One notable member was Johann Jakob Plescher, who served as the town's mayor from 1758 to 1775.
In the 19th century, a notable figure with the surname Plescher was Theodor Plescher, a German politician and lawyer who was born in 1824 in the city of Mainz. He served as a member of the Reichstag, the parliament of the German Empire, representing the city of Mainz from 1871 to 1884.
While the surname Plescher is not among the most common in Germany, it has a rich history and can be traced back to its agricultural roots in the Pfalz region. The name has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including mathematicians, artists, craftsmen, politicians, and more, contributing to the diverse tapestry of German culture and history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Plescher
Among Census respondents with the surname Plescher, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.8%) and Black (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Plescher 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 Plescher surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White97.2% · 106
- Hispanic or Latino1.8% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Plescher
Plescher appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
-5 bearers (-4.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,985 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #145,220 | 114 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | -5 bearers (-4.4%) | Down 4,985 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 Plescher 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 | #145,220 | #150,205 | -3.4% |
| Count | 114 | 109 | -4.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Plescher bearers went from 114 to 109 (-4.4% change). The surname moved down 4,985 positions in the national ranking, going from #145,220 to #150,205.
FAQ
Plescher surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Plescher?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Plescher. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Plescher?
Plescher ranks #150,205 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 109 people with the surname Plescher. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Plescher.
Has Plescher become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Plescher went from 114 recorded bearers to 109. That is a decrease of 5 (-4.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #145,220 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Plescher?
Among Census respondents with the surname Plescher, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.8%) and Black (0.9%). 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 Plescher in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.2% (106 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Plescher appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (97.2%), Hispanic (1.8%), Black (0.9%). 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 Plescher (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 Plescher mean?
A German surname derived from the word for a plait or braid maker. 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 Plescher (0.04 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 have the surname Plescher?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.