Explore the Family Name Plummer

The meaning of Plummer

English: 1. occupational name for a worker in lead, especially a maker of lead pipes and conduits, from Middle English plum(b)er, plom(b)er, plummer ‘worker or dealer in lead, plumber’ (Anglo-Norman French plum(m)er, plomner). 2. habitational name from Plummers in Hertfordshire, which probably derives from Middle English plo(u)me ‘plum’ + mere ‘lake, pool, pond’. The name is also established in Ireland, taken there from England in the 17th century.

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

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

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname "Plummer" has seen mild fluctuations over a decade. In 2000, Plummer was ranked the 1,309th most popular surname in the United States and by 2010, it had moved to the 1,382nd position, representing a decrease of approximately 5.58%. Despite this slight drop in rank, the raw count of people with this surname increased from 24,665 in 2000 to 25,596 in 2010, marking an increase of 3.77%. The proportion per 100,000 people also declined slightly by 5.03%, moving from 9.14 in 2000 to 8.68 in 2010.

20002010Change
Rank#1,309#1,382-5.58%
Count24,66525,5963.77%
Proportion per 100k9.148.68-5.03%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Plummer

The ethnicity tied to the surname "Plummer", as indicated by the Decennial U.S. Census data, has shown notable changes between 2000 and 2010. The largest ethnic identity associated with the surname is White, accounting for 71.62% in 2000 and decreasing to 68.97% in 2010. Black ethnicity constitutes the second largest group, which saw an increase from 23.00% in 2000 to 24.69% in 2010. Notably, individuals identifying as Hispanic and those identifying with two or more races both saw considerable increases of 35.39% and 26.04% respectively. Despite these changes, the proportion of Asian/Pacific Islanders and American Indian and Alaskan Natives associated with the surname Plummer remained relatively low, but varied with the former increasing by 22.22% and the latter decreasing by 10.46%.

20002010Change
White71.62%68.97%-3.7%
Black23%24.69%7.35%
Hispanic1.78%2.41%35.39%
Two or More Races1.69%2.13%26.04%
American Indian and Alaskan Native1.53%1.37%-10.46%
Asian/Pacific Islander0.36%0.44%22.22%

Plummer ancestry composition

23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Plummer is British & Irish, which comprises 50.0% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (23.4%) and Eastern European (4.7%). Additional ancestries include Nigerian, Scandinavian, Italian, Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean, and Spanish & Portuguese.

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ANCESTRY BREAKDOWNCOMPOSITION
British & Irish50.0%
French & German23.4%
Eastern European4.7%
Other21.9%
Plummer

Possible origins of the surname Plummer

Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.

Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Plummer have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.

RECENT ANCESTRY LocationPercentage
Greater Manchester, United Kingdom83.60%
Greater London, United Kingdom83.60%
Glasgow City, United Kingdom83.20%
Merseyside, United Kingdom83.20%
West Midlands, United Kingdom82.80%

What Plummer haplogroups can tell you

Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.

The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Plummer is R-P311, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-P311 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-CTS241 and R-L51, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Chamberlain, Alford, Winn, Sexton, Armstrong, Gaines, Baer, Ryan, Kelsey, Cooley.

The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Plummer surname are: H1, H3, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.

plummerPaternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343

Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette

Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.

Maternal Haplo Image

What do people with the surname Plummer have in common?

Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.

Preferences

Plummer

Chocolate Ice Cream

Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.

"Plummer" Surname 40.4%

23andMe Users 41.3%

Traits

Plummer

Misophonia

When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.

"Plummer" Surname 25.2%

23andMe Users 27.9%

Habits

Plummer

Sugary Drink

Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.

"Plummer" Surname 21.4%

23andMe Users 21.1%

Wellness

Plummer

Migraine

A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.

"Plummer" Surname 18.9%

23andMe Users 16.4%

Are health conditions linked to the last name Plummer?

The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.

Disease variant frequency by ancestry

Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Plummer are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition

Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Y402H variant

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of irreversible vision loss among older adults. The disease results in damage to the central part of the retina (the macula), impairing vision needed for reading, driving, or even recognizing faces. The 23andMe Health + Ancestry DNA test includes the two most common variants associated with an increased risk of developing the condition: the Y402H variant in the CFH gene and the A69S variant in the ARMS2 gene. Learn more about Age-Related Macular Degeneration

British & Irish 62.1%

23andMe Users 57.2%