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| Origins Available: |
| | Germany |
The surname Plew may be derived from the Old High German "Pluwil" or the Middle High German "Bliuwel" meaning a "stick" or "cudgel" perhaps suggesting a drumstick or pestle. The name may have been assigned to the bearer as a nickname for a stick-like figure or one who fought with or carried a stick. Or the name could have been given due to an occupation, such as one who used such sticks, perhaps a miller, or one who cut and sold sticks. Alternatively, the surname Plew may be derived from the Old High German "blao" meaning "blue" and probably would have been given as a nickname for any variety of reasons. The element "blao" also appears in a number of forenames such as Blauhart and Blawo, and in place names such as Plawen and Plaue. Therefore the surname may also be patronymic, indicating the son of Blawo, or toponymic, from the name of the place where the bearer once lived. The name Plew, can be found in compound names such as Pleuefisch, meaning "fishing rod." The consonants "p" and "b" are phonetically very similar in the German language. This makes them often interchangeable, and so the surname Plew can appear with either a "P" or a "B."
The surname Plew was first found in Bavaria, and other Upper German lands, where the name was closely identified in early mediaeval times with the feudal society which would become prominent throughout European history. The name would later emerge as a noble family with great influence, having many distinguished branches, and become noted for its involvement in social, economic and political affairs. Records of the surname Plew date back to the early 14th Century, when Johann Blaue was recorded in 1302, a Flahsblüwel in 1318 in Freiburg, a Wescheplewel in 1363 in Nuremburg, Haintz Blaewli in 1391 in Klosters, and Stephen Pleul in 1409 in Moravia.
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Plew research. Another 119 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1758, 1788, 1792, 1797, 1800, 1823 and 1850 are included under the topic Early Plew History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Spelling variations of this family name include: Plewe, Plewes, Pleul, Pleuer, Bleuer, Bleuwer, Pleuler, Bleuler, Plaul, Plahl, Bleil, Bleyle and many more.
Prominent among members of the name Plew in this period include the Bleul family of Salzburg and Bavaria, of whom Johann Heinrich Bleul belonged; he would serve as court secretary to Leopold II and as a Field Marshall during the Napoleonic Wars. He was made a knight of the Holy Roman Empire in 1797 by...
Another 54 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Plew Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.