UK surname
A topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a plot of land or small field.
In the 1881 census there were 29 people recorded with the Plott surname, ranking it #29,484 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 28, ranked #36,125, down from #29,484 in 1881.
The strongest historical links point to Kilbirnie, Bury and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include No data.
Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Plott is 293 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 3.4%.
1881 census count
29
Ranked #29,484
Modern count
28
2016, ranked #36,125
Peak year
1861
293 bearers
Map years
1
1861 to 1861
Key insights
Map
Back to topThe map shows where the Plott surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.
Distribution map
Plott surname density by area, 1861 census.
Timeline
Back to topThe 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 | 61 | #22,412 |
| 1861 | historical | 293 | #8,589 |
| 1881 | historical | 29 | #29,484 |
| 1891 | historical | 58 | #29,439 |
| 1901 | historical | 26 | #31,152 |
| 1911 | historical | 36 | #29,370 |
| 1997 | modern | 12 | #36,785 |
| 1998 | modern | 10 | #37,048 |
| 1999 | modern | 13 | #36,693 |
| 2000 | modern | 13 | #36,635 |
| 2001 | modern | 14 | #36,372 |
| 2002 | modern | 17 | #36,164 |
| 2003 | modern | 18 | #36,115 |
| 2004 | modern | 15 | #36,530 |
| 2005 | modern | 13 | #36,833 |
| 2006 | modern | 12 | #37,014 |
| 2007 | modern | 13 | #36,990 |
| 2008 | modern | 13 | #37,056 |
| 2009 | modern | 12 | #37,230 |
| 2010 | modern | 15 | #37,038 |
| 2011 | modern | 17 | #36,839 |
| 2012 | modern | 22 | #36,431 |
| 2013 | modern | 22 | #36,477 |
| 2014 | modern | 24 | #36,358 |
| 2015 | modern | 28 | #36,106 |
| 2016 | modern | 28 | #36,125 |
Geography
Back to topHistorical parish links are strongest around Kilbirnie, Bury, Manchester, Wednesbury and West Derby. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.
The modern local-area list points to No data. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.
| Rank | Parish | Area |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kilbirnie | Ayr |
| 2 | Bury | Lancashire |
| 3 | Manchester | Lancashire |
| 4 | Wednesbury | Staffordshire |
| 5 | West Derby | Lancashire |
| Rank | Area | District |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No data | No data |
Forenames
Back to topThese lists show first names that appear often with the Plott surname in historical and recent records.
Recent female names
Recent male names
Modern profile
Back to topModern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Plott, 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
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Nationally, the Plott surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as No data, within No data. This does not mean every Plott household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.
London neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Within London, Plott is most associated with areas classed as No data, part of No data. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.
Broadband speed
The modern neighbourhood pattern for Plott is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of No data.
Area snapshot
This describes the area pattern most associated with Plott, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.
Origin
Back to topThe surname Plott has its origins in England, tracing back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "plot," which referred to a small piece of land or plot of ground. This suggests that the name may have initially been used to denote someone who lived on or worked a small plot of land.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Plott can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, where it appears as "Robert de la Plotte." This early spelling variation highlights the connection to the Old English word for a small plot of land.
The Plott surname also appears in the renowned Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of land ownership and taxation compiled in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror. In this significant historical document, the name is recorded as "Ploht," further reinforcing its roots in Old English.
Over the centuries, the name has undergone several spelling variations, including Plotts, Plott, Ploght, and Plough. Some of these variations may have been influenced by regional dialects or scribal errors in transcribing the name.
Notable individuals bearing the Plott surname throughout history include:
1. John Plott (c. 1590-1665), an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Buckland Newton in Dorset. 2. Robert Plott (1640-1696), an English naturalist, writer, and the first keeper of the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford. 3. Nathaniel Plott (1630-1706), an English clergyman and writer who served as the Rector of Bushley in Worcestershire. 4. William Plott (1659-1735), an English mathematician and astronomer who assisted Isaac Newton in his work on the Principia Mathematica. 5. John Plott (1732-1805), an English landscape painter known for his depictions of rural scenes in the Midlands region.
While the Plott surname has its origins in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and immigration. However, the focus of this report remains on the historical roots and early recorded instances of the name in its country of origin.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
1881 census detail
Back to topThese tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Plott surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.
Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Ayrshire leads with 8 Plotts recorded in 1881 and an index of 36.55x.
| County | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Ayrshire | 8 | 36.55x |
| Lancashire | 8 | 2.31x |
| Gloucestershire | 7 | 12.21x |
| Middlesex | 5 | 1.71x |
| Derbyshire | 1 | 2.18x |
| Isle of Man | 1 | 18.42x |
Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Kilbirnie in Ayrshire leads with 8 Plotts recorded in 1881 and an index of 1509.43x.
| Place | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Kilbirnie | 8 | 1509.43x |
| Bishops Cleeve | 7 | 4666.67x |
| Chorlton On Medlock | 7 | 127.04x |
| Mile End New Town | 5 | 1250.00x |
| Chapel En Le Frith | 1 | 238.10x |
| Onchan | 1 | 64.10x |
| Ormskirk | 1 | 151.52x |
These are the female first names most often recorded with the Plott surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
These are the male first names most often recorded with the Plott surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Plott households.
| Occupation | Count |
|---|---|
| Scholar | 7 |
| Tailoress | 2 |
| Baker Master | 1 |
| Bakers Daur | 1 |
| Bakers Son | 1 |
| Bakers Wife | 1 |
| Footman Dom Serv | 1 |
| Glazier | 1 |
| Housekeeper | 1 |
| Rivetter Boot | 1 |
| Scholour | 1 |
| Timber Bender (Dlr) | 1 |
FAQ
In 1881, 29 people were recorded with the Plott surname. That placed it at #29,484 in the surname rankings for that year.
The latest modern count shown here is 28 in 2016. That gives Plott a modern rank of #36,125.
A topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a plot of land or small field.
The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Plott bearers relative to the surrounding population.
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.