2000
#3,133
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,571
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.92
Uncommon Last name
Plunkett
A surname of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic "O Pluingceide," meaning "descendant of the stout or round-headed one."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 11,878 Americans carry the last name Plunkett. That puts it at #3,378 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.47 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 28,856 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Plunkett 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Plunkett with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
12K
1 in 28,856
Census rank
#3,378
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
10K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 10,358 bearers of the surname Plunkett in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.47 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3378th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Plunkett, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.3%. The next largest groups are Black (8.0%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Plunkett
The surname Plunkett is of Anglo-Norman origin and is believed to have originated in Ireland. It is derived from the Old French word "plonquet," meaning a small clump or thicket of trees. The name likely referred to someone who lived near a small grove or wooded area.
The Plunkett family is one of the few Anglo-Norman families that became fully integrated into Irish society during the Middle Ages. They held significant lands and power in counties Louth, Meath, and Dublin. The earliest recorded instance of the name dates back to the 13th century, with a Richard Plunkett mentioned in the Irish Annals of 1216.
In the 14th century, the Plunketts gained prominence when Sir Christopher Plunkett was appointed Deputy Governor of Ireland in 1358. He later became Lord Chancellor of Ireland in 1370. Another notable figure was Sir Thomas Plunkett, who served as Lord Chancellor of Ireland from 1486 to 1492.
One of the most famous Plunketts in history was Oliver Plunkett (1625-1681), the Catholic Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland. He was martyred for his faith during the Protestant Reformation and was canonized as a saint by the Catholic Church in 1975.
Other notable Plunketts include:
- William Conyngham Plunket (1764-1854), an Irish lawyer and politician who served as Lord Chancellor of Ireland.
- Liam Plunkett (born 1985), an English cricketer who played for England's national team.
- Patricia Plunkett (1923-2019), an American actress and former wife of actor Edmund O'Brien.
- Edward Plunkett, 18th Baron of Dunsany (1878-1957), an influential Irish writer and dramatist known for his work in fantasy literature.
The name Plunkett has endured through the centuries, and its origins can be traced back to the Norman conquest of Ireland, where the family established itself as a prominent Anglo-Irish dynasty.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Plunkett
Among Census respondents with the surname Plunkett, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.3%. The next largest groups are Black (8.0%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Plunkett 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 Plunkett surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.3% · 8,525
- Black or African American8.0% · 824
- Two or more races4.4% · 454
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 383
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.3% · 131
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 41
Timeline
Historical Census data for Plunkett
Plunkett 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
#3,335
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,758
+187 bearers (+1.8%)
Per 100,000 3.65
Rank movement Down 202 places
2020
#3,378
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,358
-400 bearers (-3.7%)
Per 100,000 3.47
Rank movement Down 43 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,133 | 10,571 | 3.92 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,335 | 10,758 | 3.65 | +187 bearers (+1.8%) | Down 202 places |
| 2020 | #3,378 | 10,358 | 3.47 | -400 bearers (-3.7%) | Down 43 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 Plunkett 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 | #3,335 | #3,378 | -1.3% |
| Count | 10,758 | 10,358 | -3.7% |
| Per 100K | 3.65 | 3.47 | -5.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Plunkett bearers went from 10,758 to 10,358 (-3.7% change). The surname moved down 43 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,335 to #3,378.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Plunkett
FAQ
Plunkett surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Plunkett?
Name Census estimates that about 11,878 living Americans carry the surname Plunkett. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 28,856 residents.
How common is Plunkett?
Plunkett ranks #3,378 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.47 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 10,358 people with the surname Plunkett. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (11,878), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.47 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.47 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Plunkett.
Has Plunkett become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Plunkett went from 10,758 recorded bearers to 10,358. That is a decrease of 400 (-3.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,335 to #3,378.
What does the Census say about the background of Plunkett?
Among Census respondents with the surname Plunkett, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.3%. The next largest groups are Black (8.0%) and Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Plunkett in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.3% (8,525 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Plunkett appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.3%), Black (8.0%), Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Plunkett (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 Plunkett mean?
A surname of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic "O Pluingceide," meaning "descendant of the stout or round-headed one." 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 Plunkett (3.47 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 last name Plunkett?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Plunkett, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.