2000
#148,244
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Plover
A surname derived from the bird name plover, possibly indicating an origin close to coastal areas.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Plover. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Plover 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
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Plover in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Plover, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.8%) and Two or More Races (5.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Plover
The surname Plover is believed to have originated in England, with the earliest records dating back to the 12th century. It is thought to be an occupational name derived from the Old English word "plover," which referred to a type of wading bird known as the plover or lapwing.
In medieval times, people often took their surnames from their occupation or some distinguishing characteristic. It is possible that the name Plover was initially given to someone who caught or hunted plovers for a living, or perhaps someone who lived in an area where plovers were abundant.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Plover can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Worcestershire, dated 1196, which mentions a "Willelmus Plover." The Pipe Rolls were financial records maintained by the English Exchequer, suggesting that the name was already well-established by that time.
The name also appears in the Curia Regis Rolls of Bedfordshire in 1214, which lists a "Robertus Plover." These rolls were records of the King's Court, indicating that individuals bearing the Plover surname held positions of some importance in medieval society.
Over time, the name Plover underwent various spelling variations, including Plovar, Plovere, and Plover(e). These variations were likely due to regional dialects and the lack of standardized spelling conventions during that period.
One notable individual bearing the Plover surname was Sir Walter Plover (c. 1390-1450), a English knight who served as a Member of Parliament for Bedfordshire during the reigns of Henry V and Henry VI. He was also a landowner and held several important positions within the county.
Another notable figure was John Plover (c. 1520-1585), an English merchant and alderman who served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1579. He played a significant role in the city's governance and was involved in various charitable endeavors.
In the 17th century, the Plover surname gained recognition through the work of Richard Plover (c. 1630-1705), an English naturalist and author who wrote extensively on the flora and fauna of his time. His works, such as "The Natural History of Oxfordshire," were highly regarded and contributed to the advancement of natural history studies.
The Plover surname also has historical ties to the town of Plover in Portage County, Wisconsin, United States. The town was named after the plover bird, and it is likely that some early settlers with the Plover surname may have influenced the naming of the town.
Throughout history, the Plover surname has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including knights, merchants, naturalists, and landowners, reflecting the diversity of occupations and backgrounds that contributed to the development of surnames in England.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Plover
Among Census respondents with the surname Plover, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.8%) and Two or More Races (5.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Plover 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 Plover surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White81.4% · 92
- Hispanic or Latino8.8% · 10
- Two or more races5.3% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.5% · 4
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Plover
Plover 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
#152,628
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
+5 bearers (+4.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,384 places
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
+6 bearers (+5.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 5,407 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #148,244 | 102 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #152,628 | 107 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.9%) | Down 4,384 places |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.6%) | Up 5,407 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 Plover 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 | #152,628 | #147,221 | 3.5% |
| Count | 107 | 113 | 5.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Plover bearers went from 107 to 113 (+5.6% change). The surname moved up 5,407 positions in the national ranking, going from #152,628 to #147,221.
FAQ
Plover surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Plover?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Plover. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Plover?
Plover ranks #147,221 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 113 people with the surname Plover. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), 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 Plover.
Has Plover become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Plover went from 107 recorded bearers to 113. That is an increase of 6 (+5.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #152,628 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Plover?
Among Census respondents with the surname Plover, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.8%) and Two or More Races (5.3%). 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 Plover in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.4% (92 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Plover appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (81.4%), Hispanic (8.8%), Two or More Races (5.3%). 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 Plover (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 Plover mean?
A surname derived from the bird name plover, possibly indicating an origin close to coastal areas. 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 Plover (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 Americans have the surname Plover?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.