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

Plumstead, 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 Plumstead surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Plumstead in America

Plumstead is the 95955th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Plumstead surname appeared 190 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Plumstead.

We can also compare 2010 data for Plumstead 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 Plumstead

The surname Plumstead is of English origin and can be traced back to the medieval period. It is a locational name derived from the place name Plumstead, which is found in various locations across England, including Kent, Norfolk, and Greater London. The name is believed to come from the Old English words "plum" meaning plum tree and "stede" meaning place or farm, suggesting it was originally a name given to someone who lived near a plum tree orchard or farm.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Plumstead can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Plumstede" in reference to a settlement in Kent. This suggests that the name has been in use since at least the 11th century.

In the 13th century, the name appears in various records, such as the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where it is spelled "Plumstede" and "Plumsted." This indicates that the name had already undergone some variations in spelling by that time.

Historically, the name Plumstead has been associated with several notable individuals. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Sir John Plumstead, who lived in the 14th century and served as a Member of Parliament for Norfolk in 1384.

Another noteworthy figure was William Plumstead, who was born in 1505 and served as the Sheriff of Kent in 1543. He was recognized for his role in suppressing a local uprising during the Reformation.

In the 16th century, the name appears in the parish records of Plumstead in Kent, with individuals such as John Plumstead (born in 1558) and Thomas Plumstead (born in 1567) being recorded.

Moving into the 17th century, we find Robert Plumstead (1616-1688), an English clergyman and writer who authored several religious works, including "The Life and Death of the Reverend and Learned Mr. Samuel Fairclough" in 1692.

In the 18th century, the name was associated with Samuel Plumstead (1735-1807), an English mathematician and astronomer who was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1774.

These examples illustrate the long history and widespread use of the surname Plumstead across various regions of England, as well as its association with individuals from different walks of life, including politics, religion, and academia.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Plumstead

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

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

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

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