Plunk History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland
England

The Irish already had a system for creating hereditary surnames established when the followers of Strongbow settled in eastern Ireland. Although there was relatively little friction between the two systems because they operated according to very similar principles, the Strongbownians frequently used local surnames. In Ireland, local surnames were almost unheard of, but in England they were probably the most common form of hereditary surname. Local surnames, such as Plunk, were taken from the name of a place or a geographical feature where the person lived, held land, or was born.

The surname Plunk is derived from living in the settlement of Plouquenet in Ille-et-Vilaine in France. The surname Plunk belongs to the large category of Anglo-Norman habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads. Some sources indicated that the surname Plunk is a corruption of the Old French word blanchet, which means white. The Gaelic form of the surname Plunk is Pluincéid.

Early Origins of the Plunk family

The surname Plunk was first found in County Louth (Irish: Lú) the smallest county in Ireland, located on the East coast, in the Province of Leinster, where they were granted lands when they accompanied Strongbow, Earl of Pembroke, in the invasion of Ireland.

"Little of certainty is to be gathered concerning this name before its appearance in Ireland. So early, however, as the 11th century, we find John Plukenet seated at Beaulieu, co. Meath: and from him springs the distinguished Irish families of the name, ennobled under the titles of Fingall Dunsany, and Louth." 1

"A nephew of Lord Plugenet [in England] founded the family still existing in Ireland, though their pedigree declares that they are of Danish origin, and were seated at Bewley (Beaulieu) in co. Louth as early as the eleventh century. " 2

Richard Plunkett (c.1340-1393) was an eminent Irish jurist and statesman who held the offices of Lord Chief Justice of Ireland and Lord Chancellor of Ireland. His descendants held the titles Baron Dunsany, Baron Killeen and Earl of Fingall.

"The younger branch was the more distinguished of the two. 'These 'Plunkets in Ireland,' says Camden, ' have been very eminent ever since Christopher Plunket (a person of great valour and wisdom who was deputy to Richard Duke of York, Viceroy in Henry VI. time) was raised to the dignity of Baron of Killin, which came to him by his wife, as heir to the family of the Cusacks.' Sir Christopher was Sheriff of Meath prior to 1442, and had married the only child of Sir Lucas de Cusack, Lord of Killeen, Dunsany, and Gerardstown in that county. All his three sons founded families. The eldest was the ancestor of the Earls of Fingall ; the second, Sir Christopher, was the first Lord Dunsany ; and the third, Sir Thomas, had to wife the heiress of Rathmore, which remained the home of his descendants. His son Sir Alexander 'a person of great account,' was appointed Chancellor of Ireland in 1492." 2

Early History of the Plunk family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Plunk research. Another 114 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1182, 1410, 1440, 1445, 1461, 1463, 1492, 1503, 1519, 1555, 1602, 1629, 1644, 1649, 1668, 1680, 1681 and 1920 are included under the topic Early Plunk History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Plunk Spelling Variations

Church officials and medieval scribes spelled names as they sounded; therefore, single person, could have his name spelt many different ways during their lifetime. While investigating the origins of the name Plunk, many spelling variations were encountered, including: Plunkett, Plunket, Plunkitt, Plunkit, Plunked, Plunkedd, Plunkidd and many more.

Early Notables of the Plunk family

Notable amongst the family up to this time was

Sir Christopher Plunkett, 1st Baron of Dunsany (1410-1463); Sir Thomas Plunket (c.1440-1519), a wealthy Irish landowner, lawyer and jurist, Chief Baron of the Irish Exchequer and Chief Justice of the...
Patrick Plunket (died 1668), was 9th Baron of Dunsany, co. Meath. An ancestor, Sir Christopher Plunket (d. 1445), was active in the Irish wars during the early part of the fifteenth century, and is sa...
Sir Nicholas Plunkett (1602-1680), was an Irish lawyer, member of a Confederate delegation in 1644, he was sent to negotiate a treaty with King Charles I, but that failed; he had his lands confiscated...
Saint Oliver Plunkett (1629-1681), was Roman Catholic Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland, the last victim of the Popish Plot, beatified in 1920, by Pope Benedict XV

Plunk Ranking

In the United States, the name Plunk is the 11,650^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 3

Migration of the Plunk family

Ireland's Great Potato Famine left the country's inhabitants in extreme poverty and starvation. Many families left their homeland for North America for the promise of work, freedom and land ownership. Although the Irish were not free of economic and racial discrimination in North America, they did contribute greatly to the rapid development of bridges, canals, roads, and railways. Eventually, they would be accepted in other areas such as commerce, education, and the arts. An examination of immigration and passenger lists revealed many bearing the name Plunk: James Plunkett, who came to Virginia in 1655; Oliver Plunket, who settled in Wilmington N.C. in 1804; James, Bernard, John, Patrick, Phillip, Thomas Plunket, who all arrived in Philadelphia between 1840 and 1860.

Contemporary Notables of the name Plunk (post 1700) +

Eric Vaughn Plunk (b. 1963), American professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1986 through 1999

The Plunk Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Festina lente
Motto Translation: Be quick without impetuosity.

Citations +

Burke, John Bernard, The Roll of Battle Abbey. London: Edward Churton, 26, Holles Street, 1848, Print.
Cleveland, Dutchess of The Battle Abbey Roll with some Account of the Norman Lineages. London: John Murray, Abermarle Street, 1889. Print. Volume 2 of 3
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/