2000
#11,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,485
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.92
Rare Last name
Plumlee
A habitational surname derived from a place in Lancashire, England, likely referring to a plum tree meadow.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,627 Americans carry the last name Plumlee. That puts it at #12,830 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.77 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 130,474 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Plumlee 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
2.6K
1 in 130,474
Census rank
#12,830
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,291 bearers of the surname Plumlee in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.77 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12830th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Plumlee, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.7%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Plumlee
The surname Plumlee is believed to have originated in England, and its roots can be traced back to the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "plum" and "leah," which together mean "a clearing or meadow where plum trees grow." This suggests that the name may have initially been used to describe someone who lived near or worked in such an area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Plumlee can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landowners and their holdings commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name appears in various spellings, such as "Plumlei" and "Plumleia," indicating its long-standing presence in the English language.
During the 13th century, the name Plumlee was associated with several notable individuals. Richard de Plumlei, born in 1225, was a prominent landowner and knight who served under King Henry III. Another individual bearing this surname was William Plumlei, a wealthy merchant who lived in London in the late 1200s.
As the centuries passed, the Plumlee name spread throughout various regions of England, often adopting variations in spelling to reflect local dialects and pronunciation. Some of these variations included Plumley, Plumleigh, and Plumridge.
In the 17th century, the name gained further prominence with the birth of John Plumlee (1642-1712), a renowned scholar and author who wrote extensively on theological and philosophical topics. His works were widely read and influential in academic circles of the time.
Another notable figure bearing the Plumlee surname was Sir Robert Plumlee (1705-1780), a successful businessman and philanthropist. He made a significant fortune through his trading ventures and used his wealth to establish several charitable foundations, leaving a lasting impact on the communities he served.
As the British Empire expanded, the Plumlee name traveled to various parts of the world, with descendants settling in countries like the United States, Canada, and Australia. Over time, the surname has become associated with a diverse range of professions and achievements, reflecting the rich tapestry of its historical roots.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Plumlee
Among Census respondents with the surname Plumlee, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.7%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Plumlee 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 Plumlee surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.3% · 2,023
- Two or more races5.7% · 131
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 81
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.2% · 27
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 19
- Black or African American0.4% · 10
Timeline
Historical Census data for Plumlee
Plumlee 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
#12,399
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,507
+22 bearers (+0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.85
Rank movement Down 809 places
2020
#12,830
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,291
-216 bearers (-8.6%)
Per 100,000 0.77
Rank movement Down 431 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,590 | 2,485 | 0.92 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,399 | 2,507 | 0.85 | +22 bearers (+0.9%) | Down 809 places |
| 2020 | #12,830 | 2,291 | 0.77 | -216 bearers (-8.6%) | Down 431 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 Plumlee 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 | #12,399 | #12,830 | -3.5% |
| Count | 2,507 | 2,291 | -8.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.85 | 0.77 | -9.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Plumlee bearers went from 2,507 to 2,291 (-8.6% change). The surname moved down 431 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,399 to #12,830.
FAQ
Plumlee surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Plumlee?
Name Census estimates that about 2,627 living Americans carry the surname Plumlee. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 130,474 residents.
How common is Plumlee?
Plumlee ranks #12,830 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.77 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,291 people with the surname Plumlee. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,627), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.77 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.77 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Plumlee.
Has Plumlee become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Plumlee went from 2,507 recorded bearers to 2,291. That is a decrease of 216 (-8.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,399 to #12,830.
What does the Census say about the background of Plumlee?
Among Census respondents with the surname Plumlee, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.7%) and Hispanic (3.5%). 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 Plumlee in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.3% (2,023 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Plumlee appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.3%), Two or More Races (5.7%), Hispanic (3.5%). 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 Plumlee (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 Plumlee mean?
A habitational surname derived from a place in Lancashire, England, likely referring to a plum tree meadow. 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 Plumlee (0.77 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 Plumlee?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.