2000
#117,538
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 137
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Ploger
A German occupational surname related to farming or cultivating land.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Ploger. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ploger 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
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Ploger in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ploger, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ploger
The surname PLOGER has its origins in Germany, where it first emerged in the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old German word "plogart," which referred to a ploughman or a farmer who worked the land with a plough.
The earliest records of the PLOGER name can be traced back to the region of Bavaria, where it was initially concentrated. The name is thought to have spread to other parts of Germany through migration and the movement of people during that time period.
One of the earliest documented instances of the PLOGER surname appears in a 1587 census record from the town of Augsburg, which lists a certain Hans Ploger among the residents. This record provides a valuable glimpse into the prevalence of the name in that specific region during the late 16th century.
In the 17th century, the PLOGER name gained prominence with the birth of Johann Ploger (1624-1689), a renowned German scholar and theologian. He was widely respected for his contributions to the field of theology and his extensive writings on religious subjects.
Another notable figure bearing the PLOGER surname was Wilhelm Ploger (1801-1875), a German architect and urban planner. He was instrumental in the design and development of several notable buildings and urban spaces in Berlin during the 19th century.
The 19th century also saw the emergence of Karl Ploger (1858-1928), a German politician and statesman. He served as a member of the Reichstag (the German parliament) and played a significant role in shaping the political landscape of his time.
In more recent history, the PLOGER name has been associated with Hans-Joachim Ploger (1919-2002), a German military officer who served in World War II. He rose through the ranks and eventually attained the rank of General in the German Army.
Another notable figure is Erich Ploger (1910-2001), a German writer and journalist. He was best known for his work as a war correspondent during World War II and his subsequent literary works that explored the themes of war and its aftermath.
While the PLOGER surname has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora. However, its origins can be traced back to the agricultural communities of Bavaria, where the name first emerged as a descriptor for those who worked the land with a plough.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ploger
Among Census respondents with the surname Ploger, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Ploger 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 Ploger surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.9% · 112
- Two or more races2.5% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ploger
Ploger 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
#123,064
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 140
+3 bearers (+2.2%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 5,526 places
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
-22 bearers (-15.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 20,447 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #117,538 | 137 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #123,064 | 140 | 0.05 | +3 bearers (+2.2%) | Down 5,526 places |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | -22 bearers (-15.7%) | Down 20,447 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 Ploger 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 | #123,064 | #143,511 | -16.6% |
| Count | 140 | 118 | -15.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -21.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ploger bearers went from 140 to 118 (-15.7% change). The surname moved down 20,447 positions in the national ranking, going from #123,064 to #143,511.
FAQ
Ploger surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ploger?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Ploger. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Ploger?
Ploger ranks #143,511 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 118 people with the surname Ploger. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), 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 Ploger.
Has Ploger become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ploger went from 140 recorded bearers to 118. That is a decrease of 22 (-15.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #123,064 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Ploger?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ploger, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%). 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 Ploger in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.9% (112 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ploger appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.9%), Two or More Races (2.5%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%). 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 Ploger (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 Ploger mean?
A German occupational surname related to farming or cultivating land. 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 Ploger (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 last name Ploger?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Ploger on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.