2000
#13,696
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,031
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.75
Rare Last name
Plunk
A nickname-derived surname referring to a large, heavy person or a harsh, abrupt sound.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,252 Americans carry the last name Plunk. That puts it at #14,576 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.66 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 152,200 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Plunk 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
2.3K
1 in 152,200
Census rank
#14,576
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,964 bearers of the surname Plunk in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.66 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14576th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Plunk, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (2.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Plunk
The surname Plunk is believed to have originated in Germany, particularly in the southern regions, sometime during the late Middle Ages. It is thought to have derived from the German word "plunken," which means "to plunge" or "to plop." This could suggest that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a body of water or worked in a profession related to water, such as fishing or boating.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Plunk can be found in a document from the city of Augsburg, dated around 1450. This document mentions a certain Hanns Plunk, who was a merchant dealing in textiles. Another early record comes from the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, where a man named Peter Plunk is listed in a tax register from the year 1487.
During the 16th century, the name Plunk began to spread beyond its initial geographical confines, as people started migrating to other parts of Europe. In 1532, a man named Johann Plunk is recorded as having settled in the town of Strasbourg, which was then part of the Holy Roman Empire.
One of the most notable figures with the surname Plunk was Christoph Plunk, a German artist and engraver who lived from 1573 to 1641. He is best known for his intricate etchings and woodcuts depicting religious scenes and landscapes.
Another prominent individual with this surname was Hans Plunk, a German soldier who fought in the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648). He is mentioned in several historical accounts for his bravery and leadership during the Battle of Lützen in 1632.
In the 18th century, the name Plunk can be found in records from the town of Heidelberg, where a family with this surname owned a successful brewery. One of the members of this family, Johann Plunk (1724-1798), was a respected brewer and served as a council member in the town.
As people with the surname Plunk migrated to other parts of Europe and eventually to the Americas, the name underwent various spelling variations, such as Plunck, Plunke, and Plunker. Some of these variations may have been influenced by the local dialects or languages of the regions where the name was adopted.
Throughout its history, the surname Plunk has been associated with various occupations and professions, ranging from merchants and artisans to soldiers and brewers. While not a particularly common name, it has left its mark in various parts of Europe and beyond, reflecting the diverse experiences and stories of those who bore this surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Plunk
Among Census respondents with the surname Plunk, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (2.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Plunk 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 Plunk surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.9% · 1,804
- Two or more races4.0% · 78
- Hispanic or Latino2.3% · 45
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 20
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 10
- Black or African American0.4% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Plunk
Plunk 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
#14,064
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,140
+109 bearers (+5.4%)
Per 100,000 0.73
Rank movement Down 368 places
2020
#14,576
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,964
-176 bearers (-8.2%)
Per 100,000 0.66
Rank movement Down 512 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,696 | 2,031 | 0.75 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,064 | 2,140 | 0.73 | +109 bearers (+5.4%) | Down 368 places |
| 2020 | #14,576 | 1,964 | 0.66 | -176 bearers (-8.2%) | Down 512 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 Plunk 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 | #14,064 | #14,576 | -3.6% |
| Count | 2,140 | 1,964 | -8.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.73 | 0.66 | -10.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Plunk bearers went from 2,140 to 1,964 (-8.2% change). The surname moved down 512 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,064 to #14,576.
FAQ
Plunk surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Plunk?
Name Census estimates that about 2,252 living Americans carry the surname Plunk. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 152,200 residents.
How common is Plunk?
Plunk ranks #14,576 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.66 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 1,964 people with the surname Plunk. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,252), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.66 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.66 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 Plunk.
Has Plunk become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Plunk went from 2,140 recorded bearers to 1,964. That is a decrease of 176 (-8.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #14,064 to #14,576.
What does the Census say about the background of Plunk?
Among Census respondents with the surname Plunk, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (2.3%). 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 Plunk in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.9% (1,804 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Plunk appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.9%), Two or More Races (4.0%), Hispanic (2.3%). 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 Plunk (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 Plunk mean?
A nickname-derived surname referring to a large, heavy person or a harsh, abrupt sound. 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 Plunk (0.66 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 Plunk?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.