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

Plyler, 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 Plyler surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Plyler in America

Plyler is the 11109th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Plyler surname appeared 2,856 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 Plyler.

We can also compare 2010 data for Plyler 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 Plyler

The surname "PLYLER" has its origins traced back to the Germanic regions of central Europe, likely emerging in the late medieval period around the 13th or 14th century. It is believed to have derived from an occupational name, referring to a person who worked as a maker or seller of tiles, which were essential materials used in the construction of buildings during that era.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the town records of Augsburg, Germany, where a certain Hans Plyler was mentioned as a tile maker in the year 1389. This provides evidence that the name was already in use and associated with the tile-making trade in the Germanic regions by the late 14th century.

As the name spread across different regions, variations in spelling emerged, such as Plyler, Plieler, and Pliebler, reflecting the linguistic variations and dialects of different areas. Some of these variations may have also been influenced by the incorporation of local place names or other descriptive elements into the surname.

Notably, the name Plyler appeared in the records of the town of Nürnberg, Germany, in the 15th century, where a family of tile makers and merchants bearing that surname was documented. One prominent member of this family was Johannes Plyler, who lived between 1430 and 1498 and was known for his skilled craftsmanship and successful tile business.

Another historical figure associated with the name was Hans Plyler, a German soldier who fought in the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648) and was recorded for his bravery and service during the conflict.

As the name spread beyond the Germanic regions, it also found its way into other parts of Europe. In the 17th century, a Dutch merchant named Pieter Plyler was documented as having established trade routes and business connections in various European cities.

Moving forward to the 18th century, a notable figure with the surname Plyler was Johann Plyler, a German scholar and philosopher who lived from 1712 to 1789. He was renowned for his works on ethics and moral philosophy, which were widely studied and discussed in academic circles of the time.

In the 19th century, the name gained further recognition with the exploits of Wilhelm Plyler, a German explorer and naturalist who embarked on several expeditions to the Americas and documented his findings in various publications, contributing to the scientific understanding of the flora and fauna of the regions he visited.

These are just a few examples of historical figures and records associated with the surname "PLYLER," which has its roots deeply embedded in the Germanic regions of central Europe and a rich history spanning several centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Plyler

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

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

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

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