2000
#146,011
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Pluard
A French surname possibly derived from a place name or an occupation involving feathers or plumes.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 116 Americans carry the last name Pluard. That puts it at #155,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,954,779 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pluard 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
116
1 in 2,954,779
Census rank
#155,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
101
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 101 bearers of the surname Pluard in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pluard, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (5.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pluard
The surname PLUARD has its origins in France, dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old French word "pluart," which referred to a person who plucked or plucked feathers from birds. This occupation was a common one during that time period, particularly in rural areas where hunting and fowling were prevalent.
The name PLUARD first appeared in historical records in the region of Normandy, where it was closely associated with the towns of Rouen and Caen. This is evidenced by the presence of the name in several medieval documents, such as the Cartulaire de l'Abbaye de Saint-Étienne de Caen, which dates back to the late 11th century.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name PLUARD can be found in the Cartulary of the Abbey of Saint-Wandrille, a historical manuscript from the 12th century. This document mentions a certain Radulphus Pluard, who was a landowner in the village of Saint-Wandrille-Rançon, located in the region of Normandy.
Throughout the centuries, the PLUARD name has been associated with several notable individuals. One such person was Jean Pluard, a renowned French poet and playwright who lived during the 16th century (1547-1617). His works, which included plays and sonnets, were widely celebrated during the Renaissance period.
Another notable figure bearing the PLUARD name was Guillaume Pluard (1689-1761), a French architect who was responsible for designing several notable buildings in the city of Paris, including the Église Saint-Roch and the Hôtel de Soubise.
In the 18th century, Jacques Pluard (1720-1789) was a prominent French philosopher and writer who was known for his work on political theory and social criticism. His writings were influential during the Enlightenment period and contributed to the intellectual discourse that eventually led to the French Revolution.
During the 19th century, the PLUARD name was also associated with notable individuals, such as Émile Pluard (1845-1901), a French artist who specialized in landscape painting and was known for his depictions of rural scenes in the Normandy region.
Finally, in the early 20th century, Marie-Thérèse Pluard (1912-1995) was a renowned French actress who appeared in numerous films and theatrical productions throughout her career, earning critical acclaim for her performances.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pluard
Among Census respondents with the surname Pluard, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (5.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Pluard 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 Pluard surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White79.2% · 80
- Two or more races8.9% · 9
- Asian and Pacific Islander5.9% · 6
- Hispanic or Latino4.0% · 4
- Black or African American2.0% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pluard
Pluard 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
#147,253
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
+8 bearers (+7.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,242 places
2020
#155,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
-11 bearers (-9.8%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 8,017 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #146,011 | 104 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #147,253 | 112 | 0.04 | +8 bearers (+7.7%) | Down 1,242 places |
| 2020 | #155,270 | 101 | 0.03 | -11 bearers (-9.8%) | Down 8,017 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 Pluard 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 | #147,253 | #155,270 | -5.4% |
| Count | 112 | 101 | -9.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -15.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pluard bearers went from 112 to 101 (-9.8% change). The surname moved down 8,017 positions in the national ranking, going from #147,253 to #155,270.
FAQ
Pluard surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pluard?
Name Census estimates that about 116 living Americans carry the surname Pluard. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,954,779 residents.
How common is Pluard?
Pluard ranks #155,270 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 101 people with the surname Pluard. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (116), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Pluard.
Has Pluard become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pluard went from 112 recorded bearers to 101. That is a decrease of 11 (-9.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #147,253 to #155,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Pluard?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pluard, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (5.9%). 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 Pluard in the 2020 Census, accounting for 79.2% (80 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pluard appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (79.2%), Two or More Races (8.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (5.9%). 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 Pluard (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 Pluard mean?
A French surname possibly derived from a place name or an occupation involving feathers or plumes. 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 Pluard (0.03 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 surname Pluard?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.