Plumb History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The Plumb surname comes from uncertain origins. Some instances of the name come from the Middle English word "plum(b)e," in turn from the Middle Low German "plum" all meaning "plum." As such, the name would have been used as a name for someone who lived by a plum tree, or for a grower or seller of plums. 1
The surname is also thought to derive from the Old French "plomb," meaning "lead;" in which case it was thought to have originally been an occupational name for a plumber. 2
Early Origins of the Plumb family
The surname Plumb was first found in Suffolk where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. The Saxon influence of English history diminished after the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The language of the courts was French for the next three centuries and the Norman ambience prevailed. But Saxon surnames survived and the family name was first referenced in the 13th century when they held estates in that county.
The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 had two listings for the family: Richard Plumbe, Cambridgeshire; and Symon Plumbe, Huntingdonshire. 3
Early History of the Plumb family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Plumb research. Another 152 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1455, 1487, 1510, 1560, 1600, 1630, 1670, 1704, 1718, 1724 and 1769 are included under the topic Early Plumb History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Plumb Spelling Variations
Spelling variations of this family name include: Plumm, Plumme, Plum, Plume, Ploom, Ploum, Ploume and many more.
Early Notables of the Plumb family
Distinguished members of the family include
- Reverend Doctor Thomas Plume, B.A., D.D. (1630-1704), an English churchman and philanthropist, founder the Plume School, in Maldon, Essex. William Plumbe, B.A. was rector of the church of St. Michael...
Plumb Ranking
In the United States, the name Plumb is the 6,205th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 4
Plumb migration to the United States +
Some of the first settlers of this family name were:
Plumb Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
- John Plumb, who landed in Dorchester, Massachusetts in 1659 5
Plumb Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
- Joseph Plumb, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1872 5
Plumb migration to Australia +
Emigration to
Australia followed the
First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:
Plumb Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
- Mr. William Plumb, English convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for life, transported aboard the "Claudine" on 19th August 1829, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 6
- Mr. William Plumb, British convict who was convicted in Sussex, England for life, transported aboard the "Asia" on 29th September 1831, settling in New South Wales, Australia 7
- Mr. William Plumb, English convict who was convicted in Lancaster, Lancashire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Captain Cook" on 2nd May 1833, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 8
- John Plumb, English convict from Suffolk, who was transported aboard the "Adelaide" on April 16, 1855, settling in Western Australia 9
- Emma Frances Plumb, aged 15, a domestic servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1859 aboard the ship "Escort"
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Contemporary Notables of the name Plumb (post 1700) +
- Charles Plumb, American cartoonist
- Josiah Burr Plumb (1816-1888), American-born, Canadian businessman and parliamentarian
- Preston Bierce Plumb (1837-1891), United States Senator from Kansas
- Ralph Plumb (1816-1903), U.S. Representative from Illinois
- John Michael Plumb (b. 1940), American equestrian and Olympic champion
- Eve Aline Plumb (b. 1958), American actress and painter
- Richard Keith 'Dick' Plumb (b. 1946), former English professional association footballer
- Stephen George Plumb (b. 1954), former English cricketer
- John Plumb (1927-2008), English abstract painter
- Charles Henry Plumb DL (1925-2022), Baron Plumb, a British politician and farmer, Leader of the National Farmers' Union, Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from 1979 to 1999, and was President of the European Parliament from 1987 to 1989
- ... (Another 8 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Citations +
- Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
- Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.
- Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
- "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
- 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)
- Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 18th February 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/claudine
- Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 12th January 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/asia/1831
- Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 17th December 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/captain-cook
- State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2014, November 17) Adelaide voyage to Western Australia, Australia in 1855 with 261 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/adelaide/1855