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

Plumley, 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 Plumley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Plumley in America

Plumley is the 7880th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Plumley surname appeared 4,200 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 Plumley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Plumley 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 Plumley

The surname Plumley originated in the county of Cheshire, England, during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old English words "plum" and "leah," meaning a plum tree or grove, suggesting the name's bearers likely lived near such a location.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Plumelegh." This manuscript, commissioned by William the Conqueror, was a comprehensive survey of landholdings in England.

During the 13th century, the name was also recorded as "Plumley" and "Plumlegh" in various historical documents from Cheshire. These variations reflect the dialect and spelling conventions of the time.

Among the notable individuals with the surname Plumley is Sir Robert Plumley (c. 1470-1546), a prominent landowner and statesman who served as High Sheriff of Cheshire in 1509. His family's ancestral seat was at Plumley, a village that likely took its name from the surname.

Another noteworthy figure is Captain Thomas Plumley (1617-1679), an English naval officer who served in the Anglo-Dutch Wars and the Jamaican Expedition of 1655. He played a significant role in the capture of Spanish territories in the Caribbean.

In the literary world, Robert Plumley (1772-1846) was an English poet and writer who published several works, including "The Poetical Works of Robert Plumley" in 1830.

The surname Plumley also has a connection to the American colonies. John Plumley (1636-1709) was an early settler in Woodbridge, New Jersey, arriving from England in the late 17th century.

Lastly, Sir Henry Plumley (1827-1909) was a British businessman and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1885 and was knighted for his contributions to the city.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Plumley

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

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

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

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