NameCensus.

UK surname

Plain

A topographic surname referring to someone from an area of level or open land.

In the 1881 census there were 204 people recorded with the Plain surname, ranking it #12,682 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 271, ranked #15,874, down from #12,682 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Tranent, King's Lynn St Margaret and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Shropshire, Wychavon and IZ10.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Plain is 303 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 32.8%.

1881 census count

204

Ranked #12,682

Modern count

271

2016, ranked #15,874

Peak year

1998

303 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Plain had 204 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,682 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 271 in 2016, ranked #15,874.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 231 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Plain surname distribution map

The map shows where the Plain surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Plain surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Plain over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 146 #13,157
1861 historical 162 #14,310
1881 historical 204 #12,682
1891 historical 231 #13,472
1901 historical 206 #14,845
1911 historical 170 #16,510
1997 modern 296 #13,646
1998 modern 303 #13,809
1999 modern 300 #13,958
2000 modern 286 #14,385
2001 modern 292 #13,967
2002 modern 292 #14,236
2003 modern 293 #14,037
2004 modern 284 #14,377
2005 modern 280 #14,452
2006 modern 267 #15,042
2007 modern 268 #15,172
2008 modern 266 #15,384
2009 modern 260 #15,972
2010 modern 269 #15,935
2011 modern 280 #15,310
2012 modern 275 #15,459
2013 modern 270 #15,911
2014 modern 272 #15,949
2015 modern 273 #15,789
2016 modern 271 #15,874

Geography

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Where Plains are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Tranent, King's Lynn St Margaret, Edinburgh, Cardiff St John and St Mary and Dalkeith. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Shropshire, Wychavon, IZ10, East Devon and Wolverhampton. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Tranent Haddington
2 King's Lynn St Margaret Norfolk
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Cardiff St John and St Mary Glamorganshire
5 Dalkeith Edinburgh

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Shropshire 034 Shropshire
2 Wychavon 019 Wychavon
3 IZ10 East Lothian
4 East Devon 014 East Devon
5 Wolverhampton 014 Wolverhampton

Forenames

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First names often paired with Plain

These lists show first names that appear often with the Plain surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Plain

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Plain, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Plain surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Plain household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Plain is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Plain is most concentrated in decile 5 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Plain falls in decile 8 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Plain is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Plain, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Plain

The surname PLAIN is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "plaen," meaning "level ground" or "open field." It is believed to have originated as a locational surname, referring to someone who lived on or near a flat, open area of land.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname PLAIN can be traced back to the late 12th century in various regions of England, such as Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. The name was sometimes spelled differently, including variants like Playne, Playn, and Plane.

One of the earliest known bearers of the PLAIN surname was Robert de Playn, who is mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1195. Another early record is that of William de la Playne, who is listed in the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire in 1272.

The PLAIN surname was also associated with certain place names in England, such as Plain in Middlesex and Playne in Dorset. These place names likely influenced the development of the surname and its variations.

In the 14th century, the surname PLAIN appeared in several historical records, including the Pipe Rolls of Sussex in 1332, where a John atte Playne is mentioned. The "atte" prefix signified "at the," further emphasizing the locational origin of the name.

Notable individuals with the PLAIN surname throughout history include:

1. Robert Plain (c. 1510 - 1580), an English Protestant reformer and clergyman during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

2. William Plain (c. 1590 - 1637), an English composer and organist during the Baroque period.

3. Jossias Plain (1628 - 1687), a Dutch painter known for his still lifes and genre scenes.

4. Esther Plain (1789 - 1861), an American educator and pioneer in the field of teaching the deaf.

5. Sir Patrick Plain (1853 - 1924), a British colonial administrator who served as the Governor of Queensland, Australia, from 1914 to 1920.

While the PLAIN surname may have originated as a locational name, over time, it has become widespread and can be found in various parts of the English-speaking world, including the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Plain families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Plain surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Norfolk leads with 46 Plains recorded in 1881 and an index of 15.04x.

County Total Index
Norfolk 46 15.04x
Midlothian 37 13.88x
Worcestershire 15 5.77x
Glamorgan 13 3.75x
East Lothian 12 45.52x
Warwickshire 10 1.99x
Lanarkshire 9 1.40x
Middlesex 9 0.45x
Shropshire 9 5.24x
Sussex 8 2.38x
Essex 5 1.27x
Aberdeenshire 4 2.17x
Perthshire 4 4.48x
Surrey 4 0.41x
Cheshire 3 0.68x
Selkirkshire 3 16.67x
Durham 2 0.34x
Lancashire 2 0.08x
Suffolk 2 0.83x
Yorkshire 2 0.10x
Fife 1 0.85x
Herefordshire 1 1.23x
Kent 1 0.15x
Northumberland 1 0.34x
Wigtownshire 1 3.79x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Kings Lynn St Margaret in Norfolk leads with 17 Plains recorded in 1881 and an index of 185.19x.

Place Total Index
Kings Lynn St Margaret 17 185.19x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 16 14.92x
Tranent 11 308.99x
Birmingham 10 5.98x
Mindtown 9 30000.00x
Cardiff St Mary 8 41.93x
Carleton Rode 8 1509.43x
Glencorse 8 784.31x
Hockham 8 2285.71x
Mattishall 8 1311.48x
Barony 7 4.30x
Brighton 7 10.34x
Dalkeith 7 133.08x
Oddingley 7 5384.62x
West Ham 5 5.77x
Cardiff St John 4 35.34x
Martley 4 540.54x
Perth East Church 4 47.51x
Aberdeen Old Machar 3 7.80x
Bethnal Green London 3 3.47x
Camberwell 3 2.36x
Edinburgh Old 3 185.19x
Carnwath 2 50.25x
Dodderhill 2 180.18x
Edinburgh Greenside 2 56.82x
Gorleston 2 32.47x
Holy Trinity 2 4.22x
Kensington London 2 1.81x
Liverpool 2 1.39x
Monks Coppenhall 2 12.07x
Selkirk 2 39.45x
Upwell 2 140.85x
Wolviston 2 487.80x
Droitwich St Peter 1 172.41x
Edinburgh St Stephens 1 19.05x
Gillingham 1 7.14x
Great Yarmouth 1 3.95x
Haddington 1 25.71x
Hallow 1 78.74x
Hornsey 1 3.97x
Kennoway 1 93.46x
Leswalt 1 55.25x
Macclesfield 1 5.12x
Melrose 1 22.08x
Much Cowarne 1 294.12x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 1 5.66x
Newhills 1 26.53x
Northwold 1 121.95x
Penarth 1 29.50x
Rotherhithe 1 4.07x
Rye 1 31.35x
Sedgeford 1 192.31x
St Marylebone London 1 0.94x
St Pancras London 1 0.62x
Westminster St John 1 4.13x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Plain surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 11
Sarah 7
Ann 5
Eliza 4
Jane 4
Elizabeth 3
Emily 3
Annie 2
Florence 2
Harriet 2
Harriett 2
Martha 2
Rose 2
Alice 1
Anne 1
Beatrice 1
Caroline 1
Catherine 1
Ellen 1
Emma 1
Ethel 1
Fanny 1
Happy 1
Iasabella 1
Isabella 1
Lilian 1
Lissie 1
Lizzie 1
Maria 1
Olivia 1
Phebe 1
Philis 1
Phoeba 1
Rosanna 1
Rosinia 1
Sophia 1
Susan 1
Susannah 1
Theadacia 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Plain surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 14
William 8
George 5
James 4
Thomas 4
Henry 3
Albert 2
Charles 2
Edward 2
Frederick 2
Joseph 2
Alfred 1
Chas. 1
Earnest 1
Geo. 1
Jno. 1
Joe 1
Peter 1
Robert 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Plain surname: questions and answers

How common was the Plain surname in 1881?

In 1881, 204 people were recorded with the Plain surname. That placed it at #12,682 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Plain surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 271 in 2016. That gives Plain a modern rank of #15,874.

What does the Plain surname mean?

A topographic surname referring to someone from an area of level or open land.

What does the Plain map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Plain bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.