NameCensus.

UK surname

Plume

A surname derived from the French word for feather, likely referring to a feather merchant or feather worker.

In the 1881 census there were 315 people recorded with the Plume surname, ranking it #9,393 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 516, ranked #9,778, down from #9,393 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Welnethan, Great, London parishes and St Pancras. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include King's Lynn and West Norfolk, North Devon and Cornwall.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Plume is 591 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 63.8%.

1881 census count

315

Ranked #9,393

Modern count

516

2016, ranked #9,778

Peak year

1999

591 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Plume had 315 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,393 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 516 in 2016, ranked #9,778.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 540 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Plume surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Plume surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Plume 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 202 #10,323
1861 historical 187 #12,690
1881 historical 315 #9,393
1891 historical 373 #9,367
1901 historical 478 #8,329
1911 historical 540 #7,391
1997 modern 570 #8,442
1998 modern 572 #8,663
1999 modern 591 #8,530
2000 modern 591 #8,507
2001 modern 580 #8,485
2002 modern 591 #8,543
2003 modern 564 #8,679
2004 modern 567 #8,672
2005 modern 551 #8,767
2006 modern 510 #9,342
2007 modern 514 #9,376
2008 modern 515 #9,430
2009 modern 526 #9,487
2010 modern 528 #9,651
2011 modern 528 #9,572
2012 modern 513 #9,684
2013 modern 520 #9,734
2014 modern 523 #9,770
2015 modern 521 #9,722
2016 modern 516 #9,778

Geography

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Where Plumes are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Welnethan, Great, London parishes, St Pancras, Orsett, Little Thurrock, Stock and Glemsford. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to King's Lynn and West Norfolk, North Devon, Cornwall, Newark and Sherwood and St Edmundsbury. 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 Welnethan, Great Suffolk
2 London parishes London 3
3 St Pancras London (North Districts)
4 Orsett, Little Thurrock, Stock Essex
5 Glemsford Suffolk

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 013 King's Lynn and West Norfolk
2 North Devon 013 North Devon
3 Cornwall 008 Cornwall
4 Newark and Sherwood 001 Newark and Sherwood
5 St Edmundsbury 006 St Edmundsbury

Forenames

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First names often paired with Plume

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Plume

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Plume, 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 Plume surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Plume 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, Plume 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

Plume is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Plume falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Plume

The surname Plume has its origins in France and dates back to the early medieval period. It is derived from the Old French word "plume," meaning feather or plume, which was likely an occupational name for someone who worked with feathers or made feathered items such as quills or plumes for hats.

The name can be traced back to the region of Normandy in northern France, where it was first recorded in the 11th century. It is believed that the surname may have been adopted by those involved in the feather trade or related crafts in the area.

In England, the name Plume appears in historical records as early as the 12th century, possibly brought over by Norman settlers after the conquest of 1066. One of the earliest recorded instances is found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1191, which mentions a person named Robert Plume.

During the Middle Ages, the surname Plume was also associated with various locations in England, such as Plumpton in Sussex and Plumstead in Kent. These place names may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname over time.

Notable individuals with the surname Plume throughout history include Sir Walter Plume (c. 1590-1679), an English politician and lawyer who served as a Member of Parliament during the English Civil War. Another prominent figure was Thomas Plume (1630-1704), an English clergyman and philanthropist who founded the Plume Library in Maldon, Essex.

In the 17th century, the name appears in the records of early settlers in the American colonies, with individuals such as John Plume (born c. 1620) arriving in Virginia in 1637 and Nicholas Plume (born c. 1630) settling in Massachusetts in 1650.

Other notable figures with the surname Plume include John Plume (1767-1843), an English architect and surveyor responsible for designing several buildings in London, and Thomas Plume Jr. (1714-1765), an English clergyman and author who wrote on theological subjects.

Overall, the surname Plume has a rich history spanning several centuries and can be traced back to its origins as an occupational name in medieval France, subsequently spreading to England and other parts of the world through migration and settlement.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Plume families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Plume 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 85 Plumes recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.77x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 85 2.77x
Suffolk 62 16.57x
Essex 50 8.24x
Surrey 32 2.14x
Kent 30 2.86x
Norfolk 24 5.08x
Hertfordshire 11 5.19x
Cambridgeshire 8 4.11x
Sussex 3 0.58x
Warwickshire 3 0.39x
Lancashire 2 0.05x
Yorkshire 2 0.07x
Devon 1 0.16x
Durham 1 0.11x
Renfrewshire 1 0.42x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Buttsbury in Essex leads with 27 Plumes recorded in 1881 and an index of 5625.00x.

Place Total Index
Buttsbury 27 5625.00x
Glemsford 25 950.57x
Enfield 21 104.17x
Woolwich 21 54.22x
Great Welnetham 14 3043.48x
Clerkenwell London 13 17.92x
Bury St Edmunds St Mary 12 170.94x
St Pancras London 11 4.45x
Islington London 9 3.02x
Thetford St Mary 9 697.67x
Cheveley 8 1212.12x
Earsham 8 1250.00x
Newington 7 6.17x
Prittlewell 7 83.23x
Twickenham 6 45.56x
West Ham 6 4.48x
Cheshunt 5 67.57x
Battersea 4 3.54x
Egham 4 43.53x
St Marylebone London 4 2.44x
Stock 4 615.38x
Sutton At Hone 4 183.49x
Birmingham 3 1.16x
Broxbourne 3 71.43x
Croydon 3 3.61x
Ewell 3 94.94x
Hampstead London 3 6.27x
Kingston On Thames 3 8.34x
Long Melford 3 86.21x
St Anne Soho London 3 17.09x
St Luke London 3 6.09x
Streatham 3 13.16x
Sudbury St Peter 3 146.34x
Bulmer 2 273.97x
Gayton 2 250.00x
Ifield 2 92.59x
Kensington London 2 1.17x
Lambeth 2 0.75x
Mile End Old Town 2 4.12x
Mundford 2 666.67x
Ousden 2 625.00x
Sevenoaks 2 23.53x
Shenfield 2 127.39x
Sudbury All Sts 2 175.44x
Wortley In Bramley 2 8.29x
Abbots Langley 1 31.75x
Bethnal Green London 1 0.75x
Brenchley 1 26.67x
Bromley London 1 1.48x
Clapham 1 2.60x
Darenth 1 61.73x
Dawdon 1 8.90x
Deptford St Paul 1 1.24x
Edmonton 1 4.04x
Everton 1 0.86x
Framingham Pigot 1 400.00x
Garboldisham 1 147.06x
Greenock Oldor West 1 153.85x
Hethersett 1 84.03x
Hornsey 1 2.57x
Hove 1 4.40x
Liverpool 1 0.45x
Magdalen Laver 1 588.24x
Mendham 1 126.58x
Paddington London 1 0.89x
Plymouth St Andrew 1 2.03x
Richmond 1 4.77x
Romford 1 10.43x
Southwark St George Martyr 1 1.62x
Tottenham 1 2.04x
Tring 1 17.70x
Watford 1 6.09x
Westminster St John 1 2.67x
Whitechapel London 1 3.30x

Top female names

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

FAQ

Plume surname: questions and answers

How common was the Plume surname in 1881?

In 1881, 315 people were recorded with the Plume surname. That placed it at #9,393 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Plume surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 516 in 2016. That gives Plume a modern rank of #9,778.

What does the Plume surname mean?

A surname derived from the French word for feather, likely referring to a feather merchant or feather worker.

What does the Plume map show?

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