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

Ploof, 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 Ploof surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ploof in America

Ploof is the 17586th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ploof surname appeared 1,598 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Ploof.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ploof 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 Ploof

The surname PLOOF has its origins in the Low Countries, primarily in the regions that are now modern-day Belgium and the Netherlands. It is believed to have emerged in the late 15th or early 16th century, derived from the Dutch word "plof," which means a soft thud or muffled sound. This suggests that the name may have been initially given as a descriptive nickname or occupational name to someone associated with a soft or quiet profession or activity.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the archives of the city of Antwerp, where a merchant named Pieter Ploof is mentioned in a trade document dated 1518. In the same century, a records from the town of Bruges refer to a Johannes Ploof, a weaver who lived in the city during the 1570s.

While the name PLOOF itself does not appear in notable historical manuscripts like the Domesday Book, its resemblance to other Low Countries surnames like Ploeg and Pluym suggests a shared linguistic root and geographical origin.

In the 17th century, the PLOOF surname began to spread beyond the Low Countries as a result of emigration and trade. Records from the Dutch East India Company mention a sailor named Hendrick Ploof who served aboard a ship bound for the Dutch East Indies in 1642. Another notable bearer of the name was Jan Ploof, a merchant from Amsterdam who established a trading post in Batavia (present-day Jakarta) in the late 1600s.

During the late 18th and early 19th centuries, several individuals with the PLOOF surname gained prominence in various fields. One such person was Pieter Ploof (1758-1832), a renowned painter from Ghent who was known for his landscapes and portraiture. Another notable figure was Willem Ploof (1790-1867), a Dutch politician and jurist who served as a member of the House of Representatives in the Netherlands.

In the 19th century, the PLOOF surname also found its way to other parts of Europe and the Americas through immigration. Among the notable bearers of the name during this period was Friedrich Ploof (1821-1889), a German philosopher and educator who taught at the University of Leipzig. In the United States, records show that a family named PLOOF settled in Pennsylvania in the 1860s, with Jacob Ploof (1835-1912) becoming a prominent figure in the local community.

Throughout the 20th century, the PLOOF surname continued to be represented in various fields, from academia to the arts. One notable individual was Jan Ploof (1905-1992), a Dutch composer and conductor who was known for his work in contemporary classical music. Another was Maria Ploof (1928-2005), a Belgian sculptor whose works were exhibited in galleries across Europe.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ploof

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

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

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Ploof, 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!