Explore the Family Name Plaut

The meaning of Plaut

1. North German: from Middle Low German plaut ‘short and broad bayonet’ or ‘blunt knife’, hence a nickname for a heavy, clumsy fellow or a lout. 2. Jewish (from western Germany): nickname from Rhine Franconian dialect German Plaut(e) ‘small kitchen knife, blunt knife’ (compare 1 above). 3. In some cases probably also French: variant of Plaud 1. Some characteristic forenames: German Reinhard, Gerhard, Kurt, Manfried. French Andre. Jewish Ari, Dovid, Tova, Yisroel.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Plaut in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Plaut experienced a decline in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Plaut held the rank of 44,497 which fell to 48,256 by 2010, marking an decrease of 8.45%. Similarly, the count of individuals with this surname dropped from 455 in 2000 to 438 in 2010, a fall of 3.74%. The proportion of Plaut per 100k people also decreased by 11.76% over this decade.

20002010Change
Rank#44,497#48,256-8.45%
Count455438-3.74%
Proportion per 100k0.170.15-11.76%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Plaut

Regarding the ethnic identity associated with the surname Plaut, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals that the vast majority of individuals with this surname identified as White - 95.82% in 2000 and 97.49% in 2010, indicating an increase of 1.74%. The percentage of those identifying as Hispanic saw a decrease of 25.97%, falling from 1.54% in 2000 to 1.14% in 2010. Those identifying with two or more races and Black ethnicity were reported in 2000 at 1.10%, however, by 2010, these numbers were suppressed for privacy. No significant change was observed in the Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian and Alaskan Native categories, maintaining a consistent 0% throughout both census years.

20002010Change
White95.82%97.49%1.74%
Hispanic1.54%1.14%-25.97%
Asian/Pacific Islander0%0%0%
Two or More Races1.1%0%0%
Black1.1%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%