NameCensus.

UK surname

Plumer

A surname denoting one who plucks or harvests feathers.

In the 1881 census there were 219 people recorded with the Plumer surname, ranking it #12,122 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 102, ranked #30,722, down from #12,122 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bardwell, Exeter St David (including Castle Yard) and St Leonard Shoreditch. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Richmond upon Thames, Exeter and Havering.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Plumer is 324 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 53.4%.

1881 census count

219

Ranked #12,122

Modern count

102

2016, ranked #30,722

Peak year

1901

324 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Plumer had 219 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,122 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 102 in 2016, ranked #30,722.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 324 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Multicultural Inner Suburbs.

Plumer surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Plumer surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Plumer 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 261 #8,490
1861 historical 315 #8,071
1881 historical 219 #12,122
1891 historical 232 #13,429
1901 historical 324 #11,042
1911 historical 195 #15,197
1997 modern 113 #25,106
1998 modern 117 #25,190
1999 modern 120 #24,960
2000 modern 123 #24,585
2001 modern 112 #25,644
2002 modern 119 #25,231
2003 modern 120 #24,909
2004 modern 120 #25,078
2005 modern 122 #24,817
2006 modern 118 #25,556
2007 modern 107 #27,557
2008 modern 102 #28,664
2009 modern 106 #28,666
2010 modern 110 #28,666
2011 modern 109 #28,653
2012 modern 107 #29,017
2013 modern 113 #28,502
2014 modern 110 #29,294
2015 modern 106 #29,895
2016 modern 102 #30,722

Geography

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Where Plumers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bardwell, Exeter St David (including Castle Yard), St Leonard Shoreditch, London parishes and St Pancras. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Richmond upon Thames, Exeter, Havering and Wandsworth. 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 Bardwell Suffolk
2 Exeter St David (including Castle Yard) Devon
3 St Leonard Shoreditch London (East Districts)
4 London parishes London 3
5 St Pancras London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Richmond upon Thames 017 Richmond upon Thames
2 Exeter 002 Exeter
3 Havering 016 Havering
4 Wandsworth 015 Wandsworth
5 Exeter 010 Exeter

Forenames

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First names often paired with Plumer

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Plumer

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

Baseline UK

Group

Multicultural Inner Suburbs

Nationally, the Plumer surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Multicultural Inner Suburbs, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Plumer household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house many younger and middle-aged adults with children. All ethnic minorities, apart from those identifying as Pakistani or Bangladeshi, appear to be present in above average proportions. Affiliation to Christian religions is uncommon. Long-term disability rates are low, mirrored in limited provision of unpaid care. Privately rented terrace houses and flats are the norm. Managerial, professional and technical occupations are prevalent, and work is rarely part time. Many individuals have degree level qualifications. These areas form the inner suburbs of many of the UK’s towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Plumer 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

Plumer is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Plumer

The surname PLUMER is of English origin, derived from the Old French word "plomier," which means "plumber" or someone who worked with lead. It first emerged in the late 12th century and was likely an occupational name for individuals who worked as plumbers or with lead.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from the late 12th century, where it appears as "Plumer" and "Plomer." During this period, the name was primarily concentrated in the northern counties of England, particularly Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as "Plummer," "Plumer," and "Plomer," in records from counties like Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire, and Norfolk. One notable entry is from the Hundred Rolls of Norfolk in 1273, where a William le Plomer is mentioned.

The Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of land ownership in England compiled in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the surname PLUMER, as it predates the widespread use of hereditary surnames. However, it does mention individuals with the occupation of "plumbarius," which translates to "plumber" in Latin.

Over the centuries, the surname PLUMER has been associated with several notable individuals, including:

1. Sir Walter Plumer (c. 1590-1661), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for various constituencies, including Hertfordshire and Essex.

2. Richard Plumer (1595-1628), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Master of St. John's College, Cambridge.

3. William Plumer (1759-1850), an American politician who served as the Governor of New Hampshire from 1812 to 1813 and from 1816 to 1819.

4. William Swan Plumer (1805-1880), an American Presbyterian minister and author who wrote several influential theological works.

5. Sir Thomas Plumer (1753-1824), an English lawyer and judge who served as the Vice-Chancellor of England from 1818 to 1824.

The surname PLUMER has also been associated with various place names, such as Plumer's Hill in Sussex, England, and Plumer's Cove in Maine, USA, which were likely named after individuals bearing this surname.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Plumer families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Plumer 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 44 Plumers recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.06x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 44 2.06x
Surrey 23 2.21x
Somerset 20 5.82x
Berkshire 17 10.60x
Sussex 13 3.61x
Kent 12 1.65x
Lancashire 12 0.47x
Norfolk 10 3.04x
Devon 8 1.80x
Warwickshire 8 1.49x
Cornwall 6 2.48x
Northamptonshire 6 2.99x
Yorkshire 6 0.28x
Durham 5 0.79x
Essex 5 1.19x
Derbyshire 3 0.90x
Herefordshire 3 3.43x
Hertfordshire 3 2.04x
Bedfordshire 2 1.81x
Cumberland 2 1.09x
Nottinghamshire 2 0.69x
Staffordshire 2 0.28x
Glamorgan 1 0.27x
Lincolnshire 1 0.29x
Monmouthshire 1 0.65x
Oxfordshire 1 0.76x
Royal Navy 1 3.93x
Suffolk 1 0.38x
Wiltshire 1 0.53x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Midsomer Norton in Somerset leads with 16 Plumers recorded in 1881 and an index of 493.83x.

Place Total Index
Midsomer Norton 16 493.83x
St Pancras London 15 8.72x
Orpington 10 448.43x
East Hagbourn 9 2368.42x
Hungerford 8 368.66x
Keymer 8 314.96x
Shoreditch London 8 8.64x
Birmingham 6 3.34x
Camberwell 5 3.66x
Dilham 5 1612.90x
Falmouth 5 58.41x
Hackney London 5 4.18x
Tormoham 5 26.58x
Woking 5 79.74x
Accrington 4 17.36x
Lambeth 4 2.15x
West Ham 4 4.30x
Bedminster 3 9.29x
Chelsea London 3 4.66x
Esh 3 64.94x
Great Bookham 3 375.00x
Great Harwood 3 65.50x
Islington London 3 1.45x
Loddon 3 357.14x
Mickleover 3 291.26x
Mile End Old Town 3 8.90x
Much Birch 3 769.23x
Pattishall 3 447.76x
Watford 3 26.27x
Bermondsey 2 3.15x
Bidford 2 173.91x
Brotton 2 72.46x
Great Bolton 2 5.96x
Hammersmith London 2 3.80x
Horsham 2 28.57x
Iford 2 1538.46x
Manchester 2 1.75x
Southwark St George Martyr 2 4.65x
Weedon Loys 2 606.06x
Aberdare 1 3.92x
Balderton 1 126.58x
Barnes 1 22.73x
Bedwellty 1 3.67x
Bungay St Mary 1 77.52x
Burton Upon Trent 1 5.93x
Claypole 1 200.00x
Deptford St Paul 1 1.78x
Distington 1 105.26x
East Stonehouse 1 11.42x
Edmonton 1 5.81x
Exeter St Sidwell 1 9.82x
Girton 1 909.09x
Great Crosby 1 14.47x
Guisbrough 1 21.60x
Hailey 1 107.53x
Hampstead London 1 3.01x
Harrington 1 45.05x
Haverah Park 1 2000.00x
Horton In Bradford 1 3.02x
Kensington London 1 0.84x
Maulden 1 104.17x
Menheniot 1 100.00x
Northampton St Giles 1 13.07x
Northwold 1 113.64x
Norwich St Swithin 1 175.44x
Penge 1 7.33x
Poulshot 1 400.00x
Royal Navy 1 4.60x
Sidbury 1 105.26x
South Bedburn Hamsterley 1 400.00x
St Marylebone London 1 0.88x
Stokesley 1 75.76x
Stone 1 10.85x
Stranton 1 4.68x
Studham 1 163.93x
West Hoathly 1 88.50x
Westminster St 1 12.69x
Woodford 1 20.96x
Woolwich 1 3.71x
Wraxall 1 151.52x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 15
Mary 10
Emma 8
Alice 7
Annie 5
Eliza 5
Sarah 5
Ellen 4
Emily 4
Ann 3
Edith 3
Clara 2
Constance 2
Frances 2
Henrietta 2
Louisa 2
Martha 2
Agnes 1
Anna 1
Beatrice 1
Carlott 1
Caroline 1
Christina 1
Elisabeth 1
Eveline 1
Fanny 1
Francis 1
Hannah 1
Harriet 1
Irvena 1
Jane 1
Jessica 1
Jessie 1
Kate 1
Laura 1
Lilian 1
Lillian 1
Liza 1
Lucey 1
Maggie 1
Margrett 1
Maryann 1
Millar 1
Nellie 1
Philadelphia 1
Rebecca 1
Rhoda 1
Rose 1
Ruth 1
Violet 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 16
John 13
George 11
Charles 8
Henry 6
James 5
Thomas 5
Frederick 3
Robert 3
Samuel 3
Alfred 2
Daniel 2
Harry 2
Richard 2
Thos. 2
Albert 1
Alford 1
Arthur 1
David 1
Edward 1
Edwin 1
Francis 1
Hall 1
Herbert 1
Hurbert 1
Isaac 1
Jirm 1
Joseph 1
Leonard 1
Martin 1
Neville 1
Percy 1
Reginald 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Plumer surname: questions and answers

How common was the Plumer surname in 1881?

In 1881, 219 people were recorded with the Plumer surname. That placed it at #12,122 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Plumer surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 102 in 2016. That gives Plumer a modern rank of #30,722.

What does the Plumer surname mean?

A surname denoting one who plucks or harvests feathers.

What does the Plumer map show?

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