NameCensus.

UK surname

Plastow

A locational surname referring to someone from a place called Plastow.

In the 1881 census there were 189 people recorded with the Plastow surname, ranking it #13,322 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 347, ranked #13,259, up from #13,322 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Coggeshall, Great, Haddenham and Clee. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Aylesbury Vale, Bolsover and Lewes.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Plastow is 383 in 2011. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 83.6%.

1881 census count

189

Ranked #13,322

Modern count

347

2016, ranked #13,259

Peak year

2011

383 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Plastow had 189 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,322 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 347 in 2016, ranked #13,259.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 318 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Plastow surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Plastow surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Plastow 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 133 #14,106
1861 historical 121 #18,148
1881 historical 189 #13,322
1891 historical 189 #15,547
1901 historical 210 #14,677
1911 historical 318 #10,988
1997 modern 362 #11,866
1998 modern 374 #11,963
1999 modern 370 #12,124
2000 modern 379 #11,855
2001 modern 367 #11,968
2002 modern 373 #12,060
2003 modern 366 #12,010
2004 modern 377 #11,776
2005 modern 376 #11,730
2006 modern 370 #11,940
2007 modern 370 #12,073
2008 modern 365 #12,308
2009 modern 375 #12,317
2010 modern 381 #12,436
2011 modern 383 #12,244
2012 modern 368 #12,468
2013 modern 366 #12,733
2014 modern 361 #12,979
2015 modern 354 #13,063
2016 modern 347 #13,259

Geography

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Where Plastows are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Coggeshall, Great, Haddenham, Clee, London parishes and St John Hackney. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Aylesbury Vale, Bolsover and Lewes. 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 Coggeshall, Great Essex
2 Haddenham Buckinghamshire
3 Clee Lincolnshire
4 London parishes London 3
5 St John Hackney London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Aylesbury Vale 022 Aylesbury Vale
2 Bolsover 006 Bolsover
3 Bolsover 008 Bolsover
4 Bolsover 007 Bolsover
5 Lewes 011 Lewes

Forenames

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First names often paired with Plastow

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Plastow

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Plastow, 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

Rural Amenity

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Plastow is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Plastow is most concentrated in decile 9 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

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

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Plastow falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Plastow 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 Plastow, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Plastow

The surname Plastow is of English origin, tracing its roots back to the Middle English period around the 13th century. It is believed to have originated as a locational name, referring to someone who hailed from a place called Plastow, which likely derived from the Old English words "plæst" meaning a place, and "stow" meaning a place or hamlet.

One of the earliest recorded references to the name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Staffordshire from 1327, where a Richard de Plastowe is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already well-established in the region by the 14th century.

In the 15th century, the name appears in various historical records such as the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield from 1472, which mentions a Thomas Plastowe. The Plastow family was also associated with the town of Luddenden in West Yorkshire, where they held land and property.

During the 16th century, the name began to spread across England, with records indicating Plastows residing in counties like Lancashire, Derbyshire, and Nottinghamshire. Notable individuals from this period include John Plastow, a clergyman from Derbyshire who was born around 1510.

In the 17th century, the Plastow name can be found in various parish records and legal documents. One prominent figure was William Plastow, a merchant and landowner from Nottinghamshire who lived from 1620 to 1685.

The 18th century saw the Plastow family continue to establish themselves across England, with members residing in places like London, Surrey, and Yorkshire. A notable individual from this time was James Plastow, a writer and poet born in 1720 in Surrey.

By the 19th century, the Plastow surname had become more widespread, with families settling in various parts of the country. One notable figure was John Plastow, a renowned artist and engraver born in 1786 in London, who was known for his intricate works depicting landscapes and architectural scenes.

Throughout its history, the Plastow name has also been associated with various place names and alternative spellings, such as Plaistow, Plastoe, and Plastoue, reflecting the evolution of language and regional variations in pronunciation and spelling over time.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Plastow families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Plastow 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. Middlesex leads with 57 Plastows recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.11x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 57 3.11x
Buckinghamshire 28 25.26x
Hertfordshire 21 16.61x
Essex 17 4.70x
Lancashire 17 0.78x
Lincolnshire 15 5.12x
Surrey 15 1.68x
Kent 9 1.44x
Yorkshire 3 0.17x
Derbyshire 2 0.70x
Bedfordshire 1 1.05x
Hampshire 1 0.27x
Oxfordshire 1 0.88x
Peeblesshire 1 11.59x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Haddenham in Buckinghamshire leads with 27 Plastows recorded in 1881 and an index of 2967.03x.

Place Total Index
Haddenham 27 2967.03x
Liverpool 13 9.84x
Great Grimsby 11 59.11x
Hackney London 11 10.70x
Bethnal Green London 10 12.55x
West Ham 8 10.01x
Wormley 8 1739.13x
Clapham 7 30.54x
Erith 7 113.64x
Wapping London 7 500.00x
Bow London 6 25.71x
Broxbourne 5 199.20x
Cheshunt 5 113.12x
Richmond 5 39.94x
Clee With Weelsby 4 62.31x
Everton 4 5.77x
Great Coggeshall 4 212.77x
Hammersmith London 4 8.86x
St Giles Cripplegate 4 164.61x
Barnsley 3 16.01x
Shoreditch London 3 3.77x
Westminster St John 3 13.43x
Willesden 3 17.35x
Clerkenwell London 2 4.62x
Dronfield 2 54.35x
Islington London 2 1.13x
Little Coggeshall 2 869.57x
Little Waltham 2 555.56x
Southwark Christchurch 2 23.28x
Albury 1 256.41x
Aldershot 1 7.94x
Aston Rowant 1 243.90x
Battersea 1 1.48x
Darenth 1 104.17x
Dinton 1 227.27x
Eddleston 1 222.22x
Great Munden 1 357.14x
Great Totham 1 212.77x
Little Munden 1 344.83x
Luton 1 6.08x
Poplar London 1 2.89x
St George Hanover 1 4.18x
West Wickham 1 166.67x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

FAQ

Plastow surname: questions and answers

How common was the Plastow surname in 1881?

In 1881, 189 people were recorded with the Plastow surname. That placed it at #13,322 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Plastow surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 347 in 2016. That gives Plastow a modern rank of #13,259.

What does the Plastow surname mean?

A locational surname referring to someone from a place called Plastow.

What does the Plastow map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Plastow 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.