NameCensus.

UK surname

Plummer

An occupational surname referring to a person who worked with lead or installed and repaired lead pipes.

In the 1881 census there were 4,000 people recorded with the Plummer surname, ranking it #1,131 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 5,146, ranked #1,318, down from #1,131 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and Lambeth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bath and North East Somerset, Waveney and North Norfolk.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Plummer is 5,769 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 28.6%.

1881 census count

4,000

Ranked #1,131

Modern count

5,146

2016, ranked #1,318

Peak year

1911

5,769 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Plummer had 4,000 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,131 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 5,146 in 2016, ranked #1,318.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 5,769 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Plummer surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Plummer surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Plummer 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 2,370 #1,257
1861 historical 2,270 #1,295
1881 historical 4,000 #1,131
1891 historical 4,076 #1,182
1901 historical 4,910 #1,153
1911 historical 5,769 #906
1997 modern 5,383 #1,209
1998 modern 5,519 #1,229
1999 modern 5,491 #1,246
2000 modern 5,427 #1,257
2001 modern 5,319 #1,252
2002 modern 5,416 #1,252
2003 modern 5,280 #1,258
2004 modern 5,294 #1,252
2005 modern 5,178 #1,264
2006 modern 5,179 #1,262
2007 modern 5,218 #1,263
2008 modern 5,160 #1,286
2009 modern 5,311 #1,284
2010 modern 5,392 #1,295
2011 modern 5,333 #1,288
2012 modern 5,227 #1,286
2013 modern 5,294 #1,291
2014 modern 5,264 #1,307
2015 modern 5,194 #1,310
2016 modern 5,146 #1,318

Geography

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Where Plummers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, Lambeth and Kilmersdon, Holcombe, Stratton-on-the-Fosse. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bath and North East Somerset, Waveney, North Norfolk, Scarborough 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Lambeth London (South Districts)
5 Kilmersdon, Holcombe, Stratton-on-the-Fosse Somerset

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bath and North East Somerset 024 Bath and North East Somerset
2 Waveney 011 Waveney
3 North Norfolk 010 North Norfolk
4 Scarborough 006 Scarborough
5 St Edmundsbury 002 St Edmundsbury

Forenames

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First names often paired with Plummer

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Plummer

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Plummer is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Plummer 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

Plummer falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Plummer

The surname Plummer is of Anglo-Saxon origin, deriving from the Old English word "plumere," which referred to a worker who dealt with lead, particularly in the making of lead pipes and vessels. The name first emerged in England, where it was commonly associated with the trade of plumbing.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname Plummer can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which documented landowners and tenants in England after the Norman Conquest. The name appeared as "Plumer" in Norfolk and Suffolk counties.

During the Middle Ages, the Plummer surname was prevalent in various regions of England, particularly in Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Norfolk. Several historical records from this period mention individuals with this surname, such as William le Plumer, who was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1275.

One notable bearer of the Plummer name was Walter Plummer, a 14th-century English merchant and alderman of the City of London, who served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1330.

In the 16th century, the spelling variations of the surname included Plomer, Plumer, and Plumber. One notable figure from this era was Robert Plumer, an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Canterbury in 1558.

During the 17th century, the Plummer family established roots in various parts of England, including Essex, Kent, and Suffolk. One prominent member was Nathaniel Plummer, a British naval officer who commanded several ships during the Anglo-Dutch Wars.

The 18th century saw the Plummer name spread across the British Empire. Sir Thomas Plummer was an English baronet and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Rye in the late 1700s.

In the 19th century, the Plummer surname gained recognition in the literary world with the English novelist and playwright Caroline Plummer, who was born in 1819.

As the centuries progressed, the Plummer name continued to be associated with various professions, including politics, military, and academia. Notable individuals include Rear Admiral Charles Plummer Chenhall, a British naval officer born in 1810, and Charles John Plummer, an English historian and scholar born in 1851, who made significant contributions to the study of Anglo-Saxon literature.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Plummer families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Plummer 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 623 Plummers recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.60x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 623 1.60x
Surrey 369 1.94x
Suffolk 323 6.79x
Yorkshire 308 0.80x
Norfolk 253 4.22x
Somerset 153 2.44x
Lancashire 150 0.32x
Bedfordshire 149 7.37x
Kent 148 1.11x
Sussex 137 2.08x
Warwickshire 124 1.26x
Durham 104 0.90x
Nottinghamshire 89 1.69x
Essex 81 1.05x
Hertfordshire 71 2.64x
Wiltshire 68 1.97x
Berkshire 63 2.15x
Derbyshire 61 1.00x
Leicestershire 61 1.41x
Hampshire 55 0.69x
Monmouthshire 53 1.88x
Cumberland 52 1.55x
Cornwall 51 1.15x
Lincolnshire 48 0.77x
Glamorgan 47 0.69x
Gloucestershire 47 0.61x
Oxfordshire 47 1.95x
Cambridgeshire 45 1.82x
Dorset 35 1.37x
Devon 33 0.41x
Staffordshire 28 0.21x
Northamptonshire 26 0.71x
Northumberland 20 0.34x
Buckinghamshire 19 0.81x
Worcestershire 13 0.26x
Cheshire 11 0.13x
Shropshire 11 0.33x
Midlothian 7 0.13x
Roxburghshire 7 0.99x
Huntingdonshire 3 0.39x
Brecknockshire 2 0.26x
Herefordshire 2 0.13x
Royal Navy 2 0.43x
Lanarkshire 1 0.01x
Perthshire 1 0.06x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Luton in Bedfordshire leads with 109 Plummers recorded in 1881 and an index of 31.16x.

Place Total Index
Luton 109 31.16x
Lambeth 107 3.14x
St Pancras London 62 1.97x
Islington London 59 1.56x
Kilmersdon 57 183.63x
Camberwell 54 2.17x
Mile End Old Town 51 8.28x
St Marylebone London 45 2.16x
Ixworth 43 320.66x
Battersea 37 2.58x
Hackney London 33 1.51x
Paddington London 31 2.16x
Bethnal Green London 30 1.77x
Hargrave 30 534.76x
Kensington London 30 1.38x
Leeds 30 1.37x
Deptford St Paul 29 2.82x
Holy Trinity 29 3.12x
Newington 28 1.94x
Whittlesey St Mary St 28 32.43x
Bardwell 27 266.54x
Leicester St Margaret 27 2.56x
Nottingham St Mary 27 1.98x
Aberystruth 22 8.85x
Coventry St Michael 22 6.96x
Great Yarmouth 21 4.22x
Shoreditch London 21 1.24x
Bedminster 20 3.39x
Church Gresley 20 20.57x
Scarborough 20 5.69x
Accrington 19 4.51x
Croydon 19 1.80x
Lindfield 19 68.30x
Postwick 19 476.19x
St George Hanover 19 3.73x
Stockton On Tees 19 3.39x
Coventry Holy Trinity 18 6.12x
East Ruston 18 202.02x
Hastings Holy Trinity 17 35.05x
Hetton Le Hole 17 11.55x
Leicester St Mary 17 4.86x
Pendleton In Salford 17 3.08x
Ringland 17 389.91x
Brightside Bierlow 16 2.11x
Dunkerton 16 117.56x
Hemel Hempstead 16 13.20x
Poplar London 16 2.17x
Rotherhithe 16 3.32x
Sculcoates 16 2.61x
Winshill 16 41.07x
Brighton 15 1.13x
Bungay Holy Trinity 15 61.48x
Clerkenwell London 15 1.63x
Dorking 15 11.75x
West Ham 15 0.88x
Bray 14 16.26x
Bristol St George 14 3.95x
Broxbourne 14 26.26x
Deptford St Nicholas 14 13.25x
Edmonton 14 4.45x
Freckenham 14 282.26x
Hurley 14 91.92x
Knaresborough 14 23.05x
Newmarket St Mary 14 38.37x
St George Bloomsbury 14 6.25x
Barrow In Furness 13 2.06x
Gosforth 13 79.37x
Llanhilleth 13 70.12x
Mells 13 100.08x
Southwark St George Martyr 13 1.66x
Southwark St Saviour 13 6.48x
Chailey 12 58.85x
Cople 12 195.76x
Fareham 12 12.48x
Glyncorrwg 12 69.73x
Great Bentley 12 98.20x
Ingham 12 316.62x
Leamington Priors 12 4.95x
Newark Upon Trent 12 6.35x
Plumstead 12 2.70x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 227
Sarah 146
Elizabeth 124
Eliza 88
Ann 78
Emma 77
Ellen 61
Alice 59
Annie 59
Jane 59
Emily 51
Louisa 41
Hannah 38
Charlotte 29
Harriet 29
Caroline 25
Florence 25
Maria 25
Martha 24
Ada 23
Clara 23
Fanny 23
Margaret 23
Kate 22
Susan 19
Anne 18
Edith 16
Lucy 16
Agnes 14
Harriett 14
Rebecca 14
Rose 14
Minnie 13
Catherine 12
Frances 12
Elizth. 11
Jessie 11
Ruth 11
Amy 10
Esther 10
Laura 10
Isabella 9
Maud 9
Rosa 9
Amelia 8
Ethel 8
Gertrude 8
Susannah 8
Beatrice 7
Bertha 7

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 252
John 203
George 150
Charles 106
James 102
Henry 94
Thomas 82
Alfred 69
Edward 66
Robert 64
Arthur 49
Frederick 48
Joseph 40
Walter 40
Harry 35
Albert 29
Samuel 22
Edwin 18
Ernest 18
Herbert 18
Richard 18
David 17
Francis 14
Frank 14
Benjamin 13
Fred 12
Wm. 12
Daniel 8
Horace 8
Tom 8
Geo. 7
Peter 7
Stephen 7
Chas. 6
Isaac 6
Philip 6
Thos. 6
Edgar 5
Edmund 5
Frederic 5
Fredrick 5
Jacob 5
Josiah 5
Percy 5
Robt. 5
Amos 4
Fredk. 4
Michael 4
Sidney 4
Willm. 4

FAQ

Plummer surname: questions and answers

How common was the Plummer surname in 1881?

In 1881, 4,000 people were recorded with the Plummer surname. That placed it at #1,131 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Plummer surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 5,146 in 2016. That gives Plummer a modern rank of #1,318.

What does the Plummer surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to a person who worked with lead or installed and repaired lead pipes.

What does the Plummer map show?

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