2000
#9,620
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,102
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.15
Rare Last name
Pletcher
An occupational surname for a maker or repairer of plates, derived from the Middle English "platecher" or "pleccher."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,805 Americans carry the last name Pletcher. That puts it at #9,401 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.11 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 90,080 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pletcher 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Pletcher with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.8K
1 in 90,080
Census rank
#9,401
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,318 bearers of the surname Pletcher in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.11 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9401st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pletcher, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (2.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pletcher
The surname Pletcher has its origins in Germany and likely emerged during the Middle Ages between the 5th and 15th centuries. It is derived from the German word "Pletsche," which means "flat basin" or "dish-shaped depression." This suggests that the name may have been an occupational surname, referring to someone who worked with flat basins or lived near a dish-shaped depression in the landscape.
The earliest recorded instance of the name dates back to the late 13th century in the town of Plettenberg, located in the region of Sauerland, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The town's name, which means "flat mountain" or "flat hill," shares a similar root with the surname Pletcher, further supporting the connection between the name and geographical features.
In the 14th century, a document from the city of Cologne mentioned a man named Johannes Pletcher, who was a merchant and landowner. This early record provides evidence of the name's existence and its association with trade and property ownership during that time period.
As the surname spread across Europe, it underwent various spelling variations, including Pletscher, Pletzer, and Plettcher. These variations were common due to differences in regional dialects and the inconsistent spelling practices of the time.
One notable bearer of the Pletcher surname was Johann Pletcher (1530-1592), a German theologian and reformer who played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation. He was a close associate of Martin Luther and worked tirelessly to spread the teachings of the Reformation throughout Germany.
Another individual of note was Wilhelm Pletcher (1690-1762), a German artist and engraver who gained recognition for his intricate copperplate engravings depicting religious scenes and landscapes. His works were widely circulated throughout Europe and are now considered important examples of 18th-century German art.
In the 19th century, the Pletcher surname appeared in the United States, as German immigrants began to settle in various parts of the country. One such immigrant was Friedrich Pletcher (1810-1882), who emigrated from Bavaria to Pennsylvania in the 1830s and became a successful farmer and landowner.
Another notable American with the Pletcher surname was Samuel Pletcher (1845-1921), a Civil War veteran who served in the Union Army and later became a prominent businessman and philanthropist in Ohio.
Throughout its history, the surname Pletcher has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including theologians, artists, farmers, and soldiers, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and experiences of those who carried this name across generations and across continents.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pletcher
Among Census respondents with the surname Pletcher, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (2.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Pletcher 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 Pletcher surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.8% · 3,046
- Two or more races3.5% · 115
- Hispanic or Latino2.2% · 73
- Black or African American1.3% · 44
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 22
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 18
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pletcher
Pletcher 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
#9,147
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,567
+465 bearers (+15.0%)
Per 100,000 1.21
Rank movement Up 473 places
2020
#9,401
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,318
-249 bearers (-7.0%)
Per 100,000 1.11
Rank movement Down 254 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,620 | 3,102 | 1.15 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,147 | 3,567 | 1.21 | +465 bearers (+15.0%) | Up 473 places |
| 2020 | #9,401 | 3,318 | 1.11 | -249 bearers (-7.0%) | Down 254 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 Pletcher 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 | #9,147 | #9,401 | -2.8% |
| Count | 3,567 | 3,318 | -7.0% |
| Per 100K | 1.21 | 1.11 | -8.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pletcher bearers went from 3,567 to 3,318 (-7.0% change). The surname moved down 254 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,147 to #9,401.
FAQ
Pletcher surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pletcher?
Name Census estimates that about 3,805 living Americans carry the surname Pletcher. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 90,080 residents.
How common is Pletcher?
Pletcher ranks #9,401 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.11 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 3,318 people with the surname Pletcher. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,805), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.11 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.11 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 Pletcher.
Has Pletcher become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pletcher went from 3,567 recorded bearers to 3,318. That is a decrease of 249 (-7.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,147 to #9,401.
What does the Census say about the background of Pletcher?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pletcher, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (2.2%). 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 Pletcher in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.8% (3,046 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pletcher appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.8%), Two or More Races (3.5%), Hispanic (2.2%). 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 Pletcher (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 Pletcher mean?
An occupational surname for a maker or repairer of plates, derived from the Middle English "platecher" or "pleccher." 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 Pletcher (1.11 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 common is the surname Pletcher?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Pletcher on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.