2000
#131,366
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Plyman
An occupational surname derived from the term "plyman", referring to a person who constructs fences or barriers.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Plyman. That puts it at #149,446 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,720,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Plyman 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
126
1 in 2,720,273
Census rank
#149,446
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
110
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 110 bearers of the surname Plyman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 149446th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Plyman, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.3%) and Hispanic (6.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Plyman
The surname Plyman originated in England, with roots dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "ply" and "man," which together meant a person skilled in the art of weaving or knitting. The earliest records of the name can be traced to the county of Yorkshire, where it was common among families involved in the textile industry.
In the late 13th century, the name appeared in the Hundred Rolls of Yorkshire, an ancient census-like document that recorded landowners and their tenants. One entry mentions a William Plyman, who held a small plot of land near the village of Ripon.
The Plyman surname also appears in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landowners and their holdings commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. This suggests that the name may have existed even earlier than the 13th century.
By the 14th century, variations of the name had emerged, such as Pliman and Plymann, reflecting the fluid nature of spelling during that era. One notable individual from this period was John Plyman, a successful wool merchant who lived in York between 1320 and 1387.
During the Tudor period, the Plyman family established themselves in the county of Gloucestershire, where they were prominent landowners and farmers. Sir Thomas Plyman (1501-1567) was a respected figure in the region and served as a magistrate under Queen Elizabeth I.
In the 17th century, the Plyman surname spread to other parts of England, including London and the southeastern counties. One notable bearer of the name was Richard Plyman (1610-1685), a successful merchant and member of the Worshipful Company of Haberdashers.
The 18th and 19th centuries saw Plymans continue to make their mark in various fields. William Plyman (1742-1821) was a renowned architect who designed several notable buildings in London, while John Plyman (1789-1867) was a respected scholar and author of several books on ancient Greek literature.
Throughout its history, the Plyman surname has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, from skilled artisans and merchants to landowners, scholars, and professionals. While the name may have evolved over time, its roots in the textile industry and Old English language remain a fascinating part of its heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Plyman
Among Census respondents with the surname Plyman, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.3%) and Hispanic (6.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Plyman 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 Plyman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.5% · 94
- Two or more races7.3% · 8
- Hispanic or Latino6.4% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Plyman
Plyman 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
#153,769
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
-13 bearers (-10.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 22,403 places
2020
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
+4 bearers (+3.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 4,323 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #131,366 | 119 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #153,769 | 106 | 0.04 | -13 bearers (-10.9%) | Down 22,403 places |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.8%) | Up 4,323 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 Plyman 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 | #153,769 | #149,446 | 2.8% |
| Count | 106 | 110 | 3.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Plyman bearers went from 106 to 110 (+3.8% change). The surname moved up 4,323 positions in the national ranking, going from #153,769 to #149,446.
FAQ
Plyman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Plyman?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Plyman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Plyman?
Plyman ranks #149,446 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 110 people with the surname Plyman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (126), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Plyman.
Has Plyman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Plyman went from 106 recorded bearers to 110. That is an increase of 4 (+3.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #153,769 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Plyman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Plyman, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.3%) and Hispanic (6.4%). 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 Plyman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.5% (94 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Plyman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.5%), Two or More Races (7.3%), Hispanic (6.4%). 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 Plyman (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 Plyman mean?
An occupational surname derived from the term "plyman", referring to a person who constructs fences or barriers. 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 Plyman (0.04 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 are called Plyman?
See how many people have the last name Plyman on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.