Plett History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

The roots of the distinguished surname Plett lie in Germany, and chronicles claim two different origins for this name. Some sources suggest the origin is found in the mediaeval German word for the maker of breast plates for armor. Other sources claim the name stems from the German word for "plateau."

Early Origins of the Plett family

The surname Plett 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. One of the earliest known bearers of this name was the knight Otto cum Plata ("breast plate",) who lived at Ruegen around 1255.

Platten is an Ortsgemeinde (municipality) in the Bernkastel-Wittlich district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany that dates back to at least 1084 when it was first listed as "villa Platana."

Early History of the Plett family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Plett research. Another 277 words (20 lines of text) covering the years 1190, 1536, 1563, 1565, 1574, 1604, 1614, 1628, 1669, 1796 and 1835 are included under the topic Early Plett History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Plett Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Plath, Plathe, Plather, Plate, Plat, Plater, Platt, Platter, Platten, Platen, Platener, Platner, Plattener, Pletener, Plettener, Plaettner, Plaetner, Plaeth, Plathner, Plett, Pletter, Pletten, Pleten, Pleter, Plettner, Blate, Blatte, Blatten, Blath and many more.

Early Notables of the Plett family

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

Plett migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Plett Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Elisz Plett, aged 28, who arrived in New York, NY in 1875 1
Julius Plett, aged 5, who landed in New York, NY in 1875 1
Katharina Plett, aged 1, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1877 1
Maria Plett, aged 30, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1877 1
Michael Plett, aged 64, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1877 1
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Plett migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Plett Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Cornelius Plett, who landed in Manitoba in 1875

Contemporary Notables of the name Plett (post 1700) +

Peter Plett (1766-1823), German teacher and pioneer of smallpox vaccine
Casey Plett, Canadian writer who won the Lambda Literary Award for Transgender Fiction at the 27th Lambda Literary Awards in 2015
Donald Neil Plett (b. 1950), Canadian politician, founding president of the National Council of the Conservative Party of Canada
Barbara Plett (b. 1967), Canadian-born, British journalist for the BBC
Willi Plett (b. 1955), Canadian retired professional ice hockey right winger who played 834 games in the National Hockey League

Citations +

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)