NameCensus.

UK surname

Plum

An English occupational surname referring to a plum grower, seller, or someone living near a plum tree.

In the 1881 census there were 483 people recorded with the Plum surname, ranking it #6,948 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 185, ranked #20,652, down from #6,948 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Balsham, London parishes and Steeple Bumpstead, Birdbrook. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Point, Huntingdonshire and North Hertfordshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Plum is 483 in 1881. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 61.7%.

1881 census count

483

Ranked #6,948

Modern count

185

2016, ranked #20,652

Peak year

1881

483 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Plum had 483 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,948 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 185 in 2016, ranked #20,652.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 483 in 1881.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Plum surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Plum surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Plum 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 376 #6,343
1861 historical 276 #9,052
1881 historical 483 #6,948
1891 historical 467 #7,846
1901 historical 437 #8,894
1911 historical 392 #9,421
1997 modern 227 #16,267
1998 modern 219 #17,115
1999 modern 216 #17,364
2000 modern 193 #18,616
2001 modern 183 #18,980
2002 modern 184 #19,275
2003 modern 174 #19,760
2004 modern 171 #20,079
2005 modern 163 #20,627
2006 modern 159 #21,148
2007 modern 157 #21,546
2008 modern 145 #22,929
2009 modern 148 #23,141
2010 modern 161 #22,385
2011 modern 156 #22,690
2012 modern 165 #21,782
2013 modern 173 #21,486
2014 modern 171 #21,812
2015 modern 176 #21,291
2016 modern 185 #20,652

Geography

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Where Plums are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Balsham, London parishes, Steeple Bumpstead, Birdbrook and Tottenham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Point, Huntingdonshire, North Hertfordshire and Fylde. 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 Balsham Cambridgeshire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Steeple Bumpstead, Birdbrook Suffolk
5 Tottenham Middlesex (Exclusive Of London Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Point Na h-Eileanan Siar
2 Huntingdonshire 017 Huntingdonshire
3 North Hertfordshire 010 North Hertfordshire
4 North Hertfordshire 011 North Hertfordshire
5 Fylde 006 Fylde

Forenames

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First names often paired with Plum

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Plum

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Plum surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Plum household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Plum is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Plum is most concentrated in decile 4 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.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Plum 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 Plum 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 Plum, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Plum

The surname Plum has its origins in England, where it first emerged in the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English word "plume," which referred to the fruit of the plum tree. This name likely originated as a descriptive nickname for someone who lived near a plum tree or orchard, or perhaps someone who sold or traded in plums.

In its earliest recorded forms, the name appeared as "de la Plume" or "atte Plume" in medieval records, indicating a connection to a specific place or location associated with plum trees. The name was also sometimes spelled as "Plomer" or "Plummer" in various regions of England during the Middle Ages.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was John atte Plume, who was mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327. Another early record is that of William de la Plume, who was listed in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1279.

The Plum surname is also found in some of the earliest English census records, such as the Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1332, where a John Plum was recorded in Sussex. In the 16th century, the name appeared in various spellings, including Plume, Plomme, and Plommer, in records from counties like Norfolk, Lincolnshire, and Gloucestershire.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the Plum surname. One example is Sir Walter Plum (c. 1590-1661), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire during the English Civil War. Another noteworthy figure was Thomas Plum (c. 1630-1704), an English-born Quaker who emigrated to America and became a prominent landowner and merchant in New Jersey.

Other individuals with the Plum surname include John Plum (1751-1842), an English clergyman and author of various theological works, and Henry Plum (1822-1893), a British architect who designed several notable buildings in London and other parts of England during the Victorian era.

Additionally, the surname Plum has been associated with various place names in England, such as Plumpton in Sussex and Plumtree in Nottinghamshire, further reinforcing its connection to the fruit or the places where plum trees were abundant.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Plum families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Plum 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. Essex leads with 78 Plums recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.40x.

County Total Index
Essex 78 8.40x
Middlesex 74 1.57x
Suffolk 43 7.51x
Hertfordshire 40 12.34x
Surrey 34 1.48x
Gloucestershire 23 2.49x
Cambridgeshire 17 5.71x
Worcestershire 17 2.77x
Kent 16 1.00x
Huntingdonshire 15 16.07x
Northamptonshire 12 2.71x
Oxfordshire 12 4.13x
Warwickshire 12 1.01x
Wiltshire 12 2.89x
Cheshire 11 1.06x
Staffordshire 11 0.69x
Berkshire 9 2.55x
Lincolnshire 8 1.06x
Yorkshire 7 0.15x
Nottinghamshire 5 0.79x
Shropshire 4 0.98x
Lancashire 3 0.05x
Monmouthshire 3 0.88x
Buckinghamshire 2 0.70x
Cornwall 2 0.38x
Durham 2 0.14x
Norfolk 2 0.28x
Brecknockshire 1 1.06x
Carmarthenshire 1 0.50x
Derbyshire 1 0.14x
Devon 1 0.10x
Glamorgan 1 0.12x
Lanarkshire 1 0.07x
Renfrewshire 1 0.27x
Royal Navy 1 1.78x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Birdbrook in Essex leads with 29 Plums recorded in 1881 and an index of 3085.11x.

Place Total Index
Birdbrook 29 3085.11x
Standon 20 600.60x
Tottenham 18 24.04x
Lambeth 13 3.17x
Ashen 11 2972.97x
Monks Coppenhall 11 28.09x
Camberwell 10 3.33x
Peterborough 10 31.23x
Burton Upon Trent 9 24.24x
Hannington 9 1764.71x
Liston 9 4500.00x
Rainham 9 204.08x
St Pancras London 9 2.38x
Westbury On Trym 9 28.81x
Claines 8 47.48x
St Gilesin Fields 8 291.97x
St Neots 8 157.79x
Westmill 8 1379.31x
Westminster St 8 46.16x
Bitton 7 87.17x
Buckden 7 416.67x
Bungay St Mary 7 246.48x
Great Thurlow 7 1129.03x
Paddington London 7 4.05x
Saxstead 7 1296.30x
Spalding 7 46.92x
Chelsworth 6 1538.46x
Bray 5 48.22x
Datchworth 5 495.05x
Leamington Priors 5 17.14x
Southwark St George Martyr 5 5.28x
St Andrewthe Less 5 14.70x
West Ham 5 2.44x
Whittlesey St Mary St 5 48.08x
Dawley 4 27.06x
Edmonton 4 10.56x
Great Coggeshall 4 82.82x
Halstead 4 36.93x
Islington London 4 0.88x
Kidderminster Borough 4 11.13x
Oxford St Thomas 4 29.52x
Radford 4 12.43x
Sible Hedingham 4 129.03x
Watford 4 15.92x
Worcester St Helen 4 204.08x
Abergavenny 3 23.57x
Bradford 3 2.66x
Clifton 3 6.44x
Cookham 3 27.27x
Deptford St Paul 3 2.42x
Fulbourn 3 105.26x
Fulbrook 3 535.71x
Hempstead 3 294.12x
Little Cornard 3 483.87x
Oxford St Mary Magdalen 3 87.21x
Poplar London 3 3.38x
Spitalfields London 3 8.48x
St Marylebone London 3 1.20x
Sudbury St Gregory 3 65.36x
Alveston 2 128.21x
Antony 2 38.91x
Bradfield St George 2 281.69x
Broxbourne 2 31.15x
Cavendish 2 108.11x
Cheltenham 2 2.81x
Gazeley 2 148.15x
Horninglow 2 26.74x
Ipswich St Peter 2 25.94x
Oversley 2 363.64x
Ringstead 2 270.27x
Skelton In Guisbrough 2 15.87x
Southminster 2 98.04x
Southwark St Olave 2 55.71x
St Anne Soho London 2 7.45x
St Giles Cambridge 2 51.95x
Swindon 2 6.20x
Thame 2 37.88x
Carmarthen St Ishmael 1 47.85x
East Greenock 1 2.91x
Little Warley 1 77.52x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 19
Elizabeth 16
Eliza 14
Sarah 13
Emma 11
Emily 9
Hannah 9
Ann 8
Ellen 7
Fanny 7
Louisa 7
Susan 7
Margaret 6
Annie 5
Alice 4
Anne 4
Esther 4
Jane 4
Agnes 3
Charlotte 3
E. 3
Kate 3
Martha 3
Matilda 3
Rebecca 3
Sophia 3
Ada 2
Beatrice 2
Caroline 2
Dora 2
Florence 2
Frances 2
Harriet 2
Isabella 2
Lilias 2
Lucy 2
Marian 2
Rose 2
Allace 1
Allice 1
Augusta 1
Betsy 1
Ester 1
Flora 1
Janet 1
Jessie 1
Joannah 1
Julia 1
Laura 1
Winifred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 26
George 18
John 18
Charles 17
James 12
Henry 10
Thomas 10
Walter 10
Edward 9
Alfred 6
Frederick 6
Harry 6
Robert 6
Arthur 4
Frank 4
Herbert 4
Samuel 4
Stephen 4
Daniel 3
Richard 3
Albert 2
Ernest 2
H. 2
Isaac 2
Joseph 2
Nathaniel 2
W. 2
Alexander 1
Azor 1
C. 1
Cecil 1
Charley 1
Clifford 1
Cornelius 1
Edwin 1
Eli 1
Elias 1
Elli 1
Epraham 1
Francis 1
Fredk 1
Fredk. 1
Fredrick 1
Jesse 1
Jonah 1
Lewis 1
Moses 1
Myer 1
Phillip 1
Willy 1

FAQ

Plum surname: questions and answers

How common was the Plum surname in 1881?

In 1881, 483 people were recorded with the Plum surname. That placed it at #6,948 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Plum surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 185 in 2016. That gives Plum a modern rank of #20,652.

What does the Plum surname mean?

An English occupational surname referring to a plum grower, seller, or someone living near a plum tree.

What does the Plum map show?

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