Show ContentsPlompton History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Anglo-Saxon name Plompton comes from when the family resided in one of the many places named Plumpton in England including the township of Plumpton in Lancashire, the parish in Northumberland and the parish in Sussex. 1 2

The place name literally means "place where plum-trees grow," from the Old English word "plume" + "tun." 3

The oldest parishes are found in East Sussex and Lancashire which are both listed in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Pluntune and Pluntun, respectively. 4

Early Origins of the Plompton family

The surname Plompton was first found in Cheshire where William de Plumton was listed in the Pipe Rolls of 1174. A few years later, Nigel de Plumpton was found in the Feet of Fines for Oxfordshire in 1247 and John de Plumpton in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379. 5

Interestingly, the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 had two listings for the family, both in Northamptonshire: William de Plumton and Robert de Plumpton. 2

In Devon, "in all probability Plympton takes name from its ancient position at the head of the estuary of what is now known as the Plym, or, as these estuarine creeks are commonly called in the locality, lake pen lin in the Western Keltic tongue, contracted, as in other instances in Cornwall, into plin, the form which the first syllable takes in its earliest occurrence in ' Domesday ' Plintona." 6

Early History of the Plompton family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Plompton research. Another 111 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1383, 1404, 1421, 1427, 1430, 1453, 1480, 1482, 1503, 1523, 1570, 1582 and 1619 are included under the topic Early Plompton History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Plompton Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore,spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Plompton has been recorded under many different variations, including Plumpton, Plumton, Plompton, Plympton and others.

Early Notables of the Plompton family

Notables of the family at this time include Sir William Plumpton (1404-1480), English soldier, eldest son of Sir Robert Plumpton (1383-1421) of Plumpton, Yorkshire. His family had been settled at Plumpton from the twelfth century, and held of the earls of Northumberland as overlords. Accordingly the Earl of Northumberland had his wardship till he was of age. About 1427 he set out for the French wars; he was knighted...
Another 69 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Plompton Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Plompton family

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Plompton or a variant listed above: Henry Plumpton who settled in Virginia in 1632; and John Plumpton settled in Jamaica in 1684.



  1. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  2. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  3. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  4. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  5. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  6. Worth, R.N., A History of Devonshire London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, E.G., 1895. Digital


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