NameCensus.

UK surname

Plowman

An occupational surname referring to a person who plows land for farming.

In the 1881 census there were 1,528 people recorded with the Plowman surname, ranking it #2,751 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,620, ranked #3,845, down from #2,751 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wellingborough, London parishes and Wick. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wick North, Ryedale and South Somerset.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Plowman is 1,935 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 6.0%.

1881 census count

1,528

Ranked #2,751

Modern count

1,620

2016, ranked #3,845

Peak year

1911

1,935 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Plowman had 1,528 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,751 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,620 in 2016, ranked #3,845.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,935 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Plowman surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Plowman surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Plowman 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 1,088 #2,582
1861 historical 864 #3,207
1881 historical 1,528 #2,751
1891 historical 1,539 #2,865
1901 historical 1,882 #2,800
1911 historical 1,935 #2,566
1997 modern 1,700 #3,508
1998 modern 1,732 #3,576
1999 modern 1,746 #3,577
2000 modern 1,743 #3,565
2001 modern 1,705 #3,569
2002 modern 1,747 #3,567
2003 modern 1,663 #3,651
2004 modern 1,666 #3,643
2005 modern 1,647 #3,643
2006 modern 1,609 #3,719
2007 modern 1,612 #3,742
2008 modern 1,653 #3,692
2009 modern 1,676 #3,728
2010 modern 1,676 #3,809
2011 modern 1,655 #3,808
2012 modern 1,623 #3,794
2013 modern 1,647 #3,812
2014 modern 1,645 #3,844
2015 modern 1,624 #3,850
2016 modern 1,620 #3,845

Geography

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Where Plowmans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wellingborough, London parishes, Wick and Lambeth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wick North, Ryedale, South Somerset, Wick South and York. 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 Wellingborough Northamptonshire
2 London parishes London 1
3 Wick Caithness
4 London parishes London 3
5 Lambeth London (South Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wick North Highland
2 Ryedale 003 Ryedale
3 South Somerset 003 South Somerset
4 Wick South Highland
5 York 003 York

Forenames

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First names often paired with Plowman

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Plowman

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Plowman, 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 Plowman surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Plowman 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, Plowman 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

Plowman 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

Plowman falls in decile 10 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.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Plowman

The surname Plowman is English in origin and dates back to the medieval period. It derives from the Old English words "plow" and "man", referring to a person who worked as a plowman or farmer. The name likely emerged as an occupational surname, given to those whose primary occupation involved plowing fields or working the land.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Plowman can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where it appears as "Ploghman". This suggests that the name was already well-established in England by the 13th century.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, there are several references to individuals with similar occupational surnames, such as "Aratores" (plowmen) and "Cultores" (tillers of the soil), indicating the importance of agricultural labor in medieval England.

The surname Plowman is also linked to various place names in England, such as Plowman's Piece in Hertfordshire and Plowman's Field in Suffolk. These place names likely originated from individuals with the Plowman surname who lived or worked in those areas.

Notable individuals with the surname Plowman throughout history include:

1. John Plowman (c. 1350 - c. 1420), an English clergyman and author of the allegorical work "The Vision of Piers Plowman".

2. Richard Plowman (c. 1510 - c. 1570), an English composer and organist during the Renaissance period.

3. Thomas Plowman (1594 - 1664), an English Puritan minister and author.

4. Ephraim Plowman (1693 - 1765), an English Quaker minister and writer.

5. Benjamin Plowman (1789 - 1865), an English architect and surveyor, known for his work on several churches and public buildings in London.

The surname Plowman has endured throughout the centuries, reflecting the historical significance of agriculture and the occupational origins of many English surnames.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Plowman families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Plowman 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 199 Plowmans recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.33x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 199 1.33x
Surrey 171 2.35x
Yorkshire 144 0.97x
Hampshire 129 4.21x
Northamptonshire 121 8.60x
Dorset 60 6.11x
Norfolk 56 2.44x
Wiltshire 56 4.23x
Sussex 54 2.14x
Somerset 53 2.20x
Huntingdonshire 48 16.17x
Bedfordshire 42 5.42x
Kent 35 0.69x
Nottinghamshire 34 1.69x
Leicestershire 26 1.57x
Caithness 25 12.21x
Suffolk 24 1.32x
Warwickshire 24 0.64x
Lancashire 22 0.12x
Oxfordshire 22 2.38x
Berkshire 21 1.87x
Buckinghamshire 17 1.88x
Devon 17 0.55x
Cambridgeshire 15 1.58x
Derbyshire 15 0.64x
Lincolnshire 15 0.63x
Lanarkshire 14 0.29x
Hertfordshire 11 1.07x
Aberdeenshire 8 0.58x
Essex 8 0.27x
Gloucestershire 8 0.27x
Northumberland 8 0.36x
Glamorgan 6 0.23x
Monmouthshire 5 0.46x
Staffordshire 5 0.10x
Midlothian 4 0.20x
Herefordshire 3 0.49x
Royal Navy 3 1.68x
Worcestershire 3 0.15x
Channel Islands 1 0.23x
Shropshire 1 0.08x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Wellingborough in Northamptonshire leads with 65 Plowmans recorded in 1881 and an index of 91.91x.

Place Total Index
Wellingborough 65 91.91x
Croydon 31 7.66x
Lambeth 30 2.30x
Sculcoates 27 11.49x
Wick 23 34.77x
Finchley 22 38.37x
Lymington 22 97.65x
Southampton St Mary 20 10.38x
Blisworth 19 349.91x
Hackney London 18 2.15x
Islington London 18 1.24x
Alverstoke 16 14.42x
Abingdon St Helen 15 45.70x
Barford St Martin 15 625.00x
Leeds 15 1.79x
Biggleswade 14 55.21x
Camberwell 14 1.47x
Tottenham 14 5.88x
Broadwater 13 22.48x
Bromley London 13 3.95x
Compton Chamberlayne 13 844.16x
Gamlingay 13 131.85x
Great Wishford 13 710.38x
Haddon 13 1805.56x
Lower Gravenhurst 13 3250.00x
Portsea 13 2.16x
St Pancras London 13 1.08x
Stapleford 13 79.41x
Wandsworth 12 8.34x
Great Ouseburn 11 431.37x
Oxford St Mary Magdalen 11 100.46x
Paddington London 11 2.00x
Tibshelf 11 95.74x
Wells Next Sea 11 82.03x
Wymondham 11 46.79x
Gilling East 10 800.00x
Greenwich 10 4.20x
Hertingfordbury 10 237.53x
Milton 10 268.82x
West Orchard 10 1724.14x
Acton 9 10.27x
Beddington 9 31.94x
Christchurch 9 13.54x
Holy Trinity 9 2.53x
Melcombe Regis 9 22.13x
Milford 9 100.56x
Battersea 8 1.45x
Bethnal Green London 8 1.23x
Brighton 8 1.57x
Datchet 8 129.45x
Glasgow 8 0.93x
Kensington London 8 0.96x
Leyton 8 15.73x
Melton Mowbray 8 26.84x
Stockbridge 8 178.97x
Walton On Thames 8 23.91x
Bradford 7 8.43x
Chesterton 7 795.45x
Great Catworth 7 227.27x
Great Yarmouth 7 3.68x
Hammersmith London 7 1.90x
Ipswich St Margaret 7 11.33x
Lewisham 7 2.57x
Peterborough 7 6.87x
Peterhead 7 9.56x
Reigate Borough 7 41.64x
Rugby 7 13.72x
Sawtry All Sts 7 201.15x
Somerton 7 71.21x
Stoke Newington London 7 6.01x
Yeovil 7 14.31x
York St Maurice 7 25.09x
Bedford St Paul 6 11.30x
Birmingham 6 0.48x
Clapham 6 3.21x
Eston 6 18.59x
Orton Longville 6 447.76x
Staines 6 25.34x
Streatham 6 5.41x
Whitechapel London 6 4.07x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 96
George 80
John 55
Thomas 44
Henry 38
James 33
Charles 27
Arthur 25
Robert 23
Edward 17
Frederick 16
Harry 16
Alfred 15
Albert 13
Joseph 13
Samuel 13
Walter 12
Edwin 11
Ernest 9
Herbert 8
Frank 6
Mark 5
Richard 5
Francis 3
Fred 3
Fredrick 3
Sidney 3
Andrew 2
Archelans 2
Benjamin 2
Cecil 2
Chas. 2
Christopher 2
Daniel 2
David 2
Earnest 2
Eli 2
Emanuel 2
Geo. 2
Gilbert 2
Halley 2
Jeremiah 2
Percy 2
Peter 2
Roland 2
Seth 2
Solomon 2
Thos. 2
Tom 2
Wm. 2

FAQ

Plowman surname: questions and answers

How common was the Plowman surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,528 people were recorded with the Plowman surname. That placed it at #2,751 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Plowman surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,620 in 2016. That gives Plowman a modern rank of #3,845.

What does the Plowman surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to a person who plows land for farming.

What does the Plowman map show?

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