Explore the Family Name Plume
The meaning of Plume
1. English: metonymic occupational name from Middle English plum(e) ‘feather, decorative plume’ (Anglo-Norman French plum(e), Latin pluma), presumably used for one who worked with or sold feathers. 2. English and North German: variant of Plum. 3. French: metonymic occupational name for a seller of down and feathers, from plume ‘feather’. Compare Laplume 2. 4. Catalan (Plumé): from a variant of plomer, an occupational name for a worker in lead, from a derivative of plom ‘lead’.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Plume in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname 'Plume' has seen a slight decrease in popularity ranking from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, it was ranked 42,830th and by 2010, it dropped to 44,653rd, representing a change of -4.26%. However, the count of people bearing this surname increased marginally from 476 in 2000 to 481 in 2010, demonstrating a growth rate of 1.05%. The proportion per 100,000 individuals also decreased from 0.18 to 0.16 during the same period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #42,830 | #44,653 | -4.26% |
| Count | 476 | 481 | 1.05% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.18 | 0.16 | -11.11% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Plume
When it comes to the ethnic identity associated with the surname 'Plume', the Decennial U.S. Census reveals some interesting shifts between 2000 and 2010. While the surname was predominantly associated with White ethnicity in both years (95.59% in 2000 and 92.10% in 2010), there was a marked increase in those identifying as Hispanic, from 1.05% in 2000 to 2.49% in 2010. There were also small percentages of individuals who identified as Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian and Alaskan Native. Interestingly, in 2000, there was a small fraction (1.05%) that identified with two or more races, however, this figure was not present in the 2010 data.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 95.59% | 92.1% | -3.65% |
| Hispanic | 1.05% | 2.49% | 137.14% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 1.89% | 2.08% | 10.05% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 1.87% | 0% |
| Two or More Races | 1.05% | 0% | 0% |
| Black | 0% | 0% | 0% |