2000
#9,945
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,993
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.11
Rare Last name
Plyler
An occupational surname for a woodworker or carpenter who specialized in creating or installing wainscoting.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,168 Americans carry the last name Plyler. That puts it at #10,993 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.92 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 108,193 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Plyler 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
3.2K
1 in 108,193
Census rank
#10,993
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,763 bearers of the surname Plyler in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.92 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10993rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Plyler, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (2.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Plyler
Among Census respondents with the surname Plyler, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (2.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Plyler 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 Plyler surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.3% · 2,551
- Two or more races3.5% · 96
- Hispanic or Latino2.2% · 62
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 27
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 23
- Black or African American0.1% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Plyler
Plyler 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
#11,109
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,856
-137 bearers (-4.6%)
Per 100,000 0.97
Rank movement Down 1,164 places
2020
#10,993
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,763
-93 bearers (-3.3%)
Per 100,000 0.92
Rank movement Up 116 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,945 | 2,993 | 1.11 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,109 | 2,856 | 0.97 | -137 bearers (-4.6%) | Down 1,164 places |
| 2020 | #10,993 | 2,763 | 0.92 | -93 bearers (-3.3%) | Up 116 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 Plyler 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 | #11,109 | #10,993 | 1.0% |
| Count | 2,856 | 2,763 | -3.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.97 | 0.92 | -4.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Plyler bearers went from 2,856 to 2,763 (-3.3% change). The surname moved up 116 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,109 to #10,993.
FAQ
Plyler surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Plyler?
Name Census estimates that about 3,168 living Americans carry the surname Plyler. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 108,193 residents.
How common is Plyler?
Plyler ranks #10,993 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.92 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 2,763 people with the surname Plyler. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,168), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.92 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.92 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 Plyler.
Has Plyler become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Plyler went from 2,856 recorded bearers to 2,763. That is a decrease of 93 (-3.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #11,109 to #10,993.
What does the Census say about the background of Plyler?
Among Census respondents with the surname Plyler, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (2.2%). 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 Plyler in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.3% (2,551 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Plyler appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.3%), Two or More Races (3.5%), Hispanic (2.2%). 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 Plyler (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 Plyler mean?
An occupational surname for a woodworker or carpenter who specialized in creating or installing wainscoting. 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 Plyler (0.92 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 Americans have the surname Plyler?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.