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

Plowman, 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 Plowman surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Plowman in America

Plowman is the 8728th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Plowman surname appeared 3,757 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 Plowman.

We can also compare 2010 data for Plowman 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 Plowman

The surname Plowman is English in origin and dates back to the medieval period. It derives from the Old English words "plow" and "man", referring to a person who worked as a plowman or farmer. The name likely emerged as an occupational surname, given to those whose primary occupation involved plowing fields or working the land.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Plowman can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where it appears as "Ploghman". This suggests that the name was already well-established in England by the 13th century.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, there are several references to individuals with similar occupational surnames, such as "Aratores" (plowmen) and "Cultores" (tillers of the soil), indicating the importance of agricultural labor in medieval England.

The surname Plowman is also linked to various place names in England, such as Plowman's Piece in Hertfordshire and Plowman's Field in Suffolk. These place names likely originated from individuals with the Plowman surname who lived or worked in those areas.

Notable individuals with the surname Plowman throughout history include:

1. John Plowman (c. 1350 - c. 1420), an English clergyman and author of the allegorical work "The Vision of Piers Plowman".

2. Richard Plowman (c. 1510 - c. 1570), an English composer and organist during the Renaissance period.

3. Thomas Plowman (1594 - 1664), an English Puritan minister and author.

4. Ephraim Plowman (1693 - 1765), an English Quaker minister and writer.

5. Benjamin Plowman (1789 - 1865), an English architect and surveyor, known for his work on several churches and public buildings in London.

The surname Plowman has endured throughout the centuries, reflecting the historical significance of agriculture and the occupational origins of many English surnames.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Plowman

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

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

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Plowman, please contact us.

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