Show ContentsPlater History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The German state of Prussia, which reached the zenith of its power in the late 19th century, is the glorious birthplace of the distinguished surname Plater. In the medieval era, after the fall of the Roman Empire, the German lands were inhabited by a variety of barbarian tribes. The borders of the barbarian kingdoms changed frequently, but the region that became known in Prussia was roughly divided between the areas of Brandenburg-Prussia, West Prussia, and East Prussia. The colorful history of Brandenburg-Prussia, provides a glimpse at the oldest origins of the Plater family.

Early Origins of the Plater family

The surname Plater was first found in Brandenburg, where the name was an integral part of a feudal society which would shape modern European history. Many prominent branches of the family would strive to make this name renowned as they contributed to the social, economic and political affairs of the region. Chronicles claim two different origins for this name. Some sources suggest that the origin is found in the mediaeval German word for the maker of breast plates for armor. This explanation is supported by the knight Otto cum Plata ("breast plate",) who lived at Ruegen around 1255. Other sources claim the name stems from the German word for "plateau." The famous Swiss humanist, Thomas Platter (1499-1582) wrote that "The Platters took their name from a house built upon a broad cliff edge."

Early History of the Plater family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Plater research. Another 269 words (19 lines of text) covering the years 1190, 1536, 1563, 1565, 1574, 1604, 1614, 1628, 1669, 1796 and 1835 are included under the topic Early Plater History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Plater Spelling Variations

One can encounter great variation in the spelling of surnames: in early times, spelling in general, and thus the spelling of names was not yet standardized; and later, spellings would change with branching and movement of families. Variations of the name Plater include Plathner, Plath, Plathe, Plather, Plate, Plat, Plater, Platt, Platter, Platten, Platen, Platener, Platner, Plattener, Pletener, Plettener, Plaettner, Plaetner, Plaeth, Plett, Pletter, Pletten, Pleten, Pleter, Plettner, Blate, Blatte, Blatten and many more.

Early Notables of the Plater family

Notable figures of the time with the name Plater were Thomas Platter, who was a prominent humanist from Basel. He began as an Alpine goatherd, then journeyed through Germany on foot and became a printer...
Another 35 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Plater Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Plater migration to the United States +

Since medieval times, the state of Prussia has played an important part in the history of Germany. The state's military powers were historically very strong, and endured until after the Second World War, when the territory was broken up and divided between the Soviet Union, Poland, East Germany and West Germany. A spurt of migration followed, with some Prussians going elsewhere in Europe and many others crossing the ocean to North America. Most entered the United States through Philadelphia. Some remained there, while more moved on to the states of Ohio, Texas, Illinois, California, New York, and Maryland. Others traveled to Canada and settled Ontario and the prairie provinces. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Plater or a variant listed above:

Plater Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Richard Plater, who arrived in Maryland in 1666 [1]
  • George Plater, who landed in Maryland in 1685 [1]

Contemporary Notables of the name Plater (post 1700) +

  • Thomas Plater (1769-1830), American lawyer and politician
  • George Plater (1735-1792), American lawyer and politician
  • Bobby Plater (1914-1982), American jazz alto saxophonist
  • Thomas Plater (1769-1830), American politician, Representative from Maryland at-large, 1801-05 [2]
  • John Rousley Plater, American politician, Presidential Elector for Maryland, 1796, 1808; Member of Maryland State House of Delegates from St. Mary's County, 1805, 1809-13 [2]
  • George Plater Jr., American politician, Member of Maryland State House of Delegates from St. Mary's County, 1790, 1792-93, 1820 [2]
  • George Plater (1735-1792), American politician, Delegate to Maryland State Constitutional Convention, 1776; Member of Maryland State Senate, 1777-90; Delegate to Continental Congress from Maryland, 1778-80 [2]
  • Steve Plater (b. 1968), English motorcycle racer
  • Kazimierz Plater (1915-2004), Polish chess master
  • Emilia Plater (1806-1831), Polish-Lithuanian noble and revolutionary
  • ... (Another 1 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)


  1. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  2. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 13) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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