2010
#156,044
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Plyter
An occupational surname derived from the Dutch word for tiler or roofer.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 110 Americans carry the last name Plyter. That puts it at #156,540 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,115,949 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Plyter 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
110
1 in 3,115,949
Census rank
#156,540
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
96
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 96 bearers of the surname Plyter in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 156540th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Plyter, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Plyter
The surname PLYTER is of Dutch origin, emerging in the Netherlands during the 17th century. It is believed to be derived from the Dutch word "plyteren," which translates to "to splash" or "to wade through water." This suggests that the name may have originally been associated with individuals who lived near bodies of water or worked in professions related to water, such as fishermen or sailors.
In the early records of the Dutch provinces, the name appears with various spellings, including Plyter, Plyteren, and Plyterus. One of the earliest documented instances of the name can be found in the birth records of Amsterdam, where a child named Pieter Plyter was born in 1672.
The name PLYTER gained wider recognition in the late 18th century when a prominent Dutch merchant and shipowner, Jan Plyter (1745-1819), established a successful trading company in Rotterdam. His business ventures and contributions to the local economy helped solidify the name's presence in the region.
Another notable figure bearing the PLYTER surname was Willem Plyter (1802-1876), a Dutch painter known for his landscapes and seascapes. His works can be found in various museums across the Netherlands, showcasing the artistic talents associated with this surname.
During the 19th century, the PLYTER name spread beyond the Netherlands as members of the family migrated to other parts of Europe and the Americas. One such individual was Jacob Plyter (1835-1912), who settled in upstate New York and became a prosperous farmer and landowner.
In the literary world, the author and poet Adriaan Plyter (1869-1943) gained recognition for his contributions to Dutch literature. His poetry explored themes of nature, love, and the human experience, reflecting the cultural richness of his surname's heritage.
Throughout its history, the surname PLYTER has maintained a strong presence in various fields, including business, arts, and agriculture. While its origins are rooted in the Netherlands, the name has transcended borders and left an indelible mark on the cultural tapestry of multiple nations.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Plyter
Among Census respondents with the surname Plyter, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Plyter 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 Plyter surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White97.9% · 94
- Two or more races2.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Plyter
Plyter appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#156,540
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 96
-8 bearers (-7.7%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 496 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #156,044 | 104 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #156,540 | 96 | 0.03 | -8 bearers (-7.7%) | Down 496 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 Plyter 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 | #156,044 | #156,540 | -0.3% |
| Count | 104 | 96 | -7.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -19.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Plyter bearers went from 104 to 96 (-7.7% change). The surname moved down 496 positions in the national ranking, going from #156,044 to #156,540.
FAQ
Plyter surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Plyter?
Name Census estimates that about 110 living Americans carry the surname Plyter. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,115,949 residents.
How common is Plyter?
Plyter ranks #156,540 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 96 people with the surname Plyter. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (110), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Plyter.
Has Plyter become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Plyter went from 104 recorded bearers to 96. That is a decrease of 8 (-7.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #156,044 to #156,540.
What does the Census say about the background of Plyter?
Among Census respondents with the surname Plyter, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.1%). 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 Plyter in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.9% (94 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Plyter appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (97.9%), Two or More Races (2.1%). 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 Plyter (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 Plyter mean?
An occupational surname derived from the Dutch word for tiler or roofer. 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 Plyter (0.03 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 Plyter?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.