The Plant surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 5,858 people carried this name — #5,890 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 50,300 people counted. About the same as in 2000 (5,832).

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What the name means

The meaning of the Plant surname

A surname, variant of Plante.

An English and French surname, from the noun plant. Also compare Plantier.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Plant» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

Among the farmers of England and Wales, 1880s

Plant was found among the farmers of 3 counties.

It was most frequent in Staffordshire: 60 in every 10,000 farmers there — about 1 in 167. Guppy counted the farmers listed in each county’s directory and recorded a name only where it reached about 7 in every 10,000; where it does not appear, it was rarer than that, not absent.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Per 10,000 farmers, by county

Staffordshire 60
Suffolk 16
Shropshire 14

H. B. Guppy, «Homes of Family Names in Great Britain» (London, 1890), alphabetical list of English and Welsh names — public domain · farmers in Kelly’s Post Office Directories of the 1880s, per 10,000 farmers in each county.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

21 families named Plant, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 109 people lived in those households, 5.2 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 2 other spellings. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

Connecticut 7
New York 5
Pennsylvania 4
New Hampshire 1
Massachusetts 1
Virginia 1
North Carolina 1
South Carolina 1

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 257 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Plant in American newspapers,
1871–1913.

Newspaper page from The Portland Daily Press carrying the name Plant
The Portland Daily Press 1901-05-23
Newspaper page from Daily Kennebec Journal carrying the name Plant
Daily Kennebec Journal 1913-12-06
Newspaper page from The Morning Star And Catholic Messenger carrying the name Plant
The Morning Star And Catholic Messenger 1871-08-06

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 4,462 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Plant in Australian newspapers,
1830s–2000s.

36,416 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Plant. The most, 5,695, date from the 1900s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in Queensland, at 2.2 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Queensland 14,937
Victoria 10,217
New South Wales 5,584
Western Australia 3,271
South Australia 1,727
Tasmania 477
ACT (Canberra) 111
Northern Territory 25

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Plant.

Who carried it

People named Plant,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Henry B. Plant
    Henry B. Plant 1819–1899 · businessperson
  • Edmund Plant
    Edmund Plant 1844–1926 · politician
  • Alice Maud Mary Plant d. 1966
  • Stanley Plant d. 1993
  • David Plant 1783–1851 · judge
  • William Agur Plant 1811–1898

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Plant,
in the records of 8 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States1,366 records

1,366 records of the Plant name in the United States
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 443
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 334
  • Other U.S. records 589
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Howard L. Plant

    Born 1918 in Vermont. Enlisted 1941 at Hartford, Connecticut; chemist. U.S. Army Air Forces veteran of World War II; died 1997, buried at St Mary's Cemetery - Milford, Connecticut.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record John S. Plant

    Born 1907 in California. Enlisted 1942 at Fort Macarthur San Pedro; machinist. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1960, buried at Los Angeles National Cemetery, California.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Bina Plant

    Arrived at New York in 1896 aboard the Havel from Bremen, aged 21; cook. From Detroit, Germany; bound for New York.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 1,366 records for Plant in the United States.

Counts: NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Netherlands1,260 records

1,260 records of the Plant name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 706
  • Dutch population registers 507
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 47
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Maria Plant

    Married in 1837 in Brummen; maidservant. Died 1887 in Brummen, aged 72.

    Open Archives, Gelders Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Wilhelmus Johannes Plant

    Born 1910 in Dieren. Married in 1935 in Rhenen.

    Open Archives, Gelders Archief (CC BY 4.0); Open Archives, Het Utrechts Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Johanna Eliza Plant

    Married in 1851 in Rotterdam. Died 1870 in Dordrecht, aged 62.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Rotterdam (CC BY 4.0); Open Archives, Regionaal Archief Rivierenland (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 1,260 records for Plant in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain).

Australia783 records

783 records of the Plant name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 330
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 207
  • Other Australian records 246
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record George Plant

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Barossa, sailing from Sheerness in 1841. Native of Stoke-upon-Trent, Staffordshire. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1847.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Ann Plant

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Anna Maria, sailing from London in 1851. Native of Leicestershire. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1854. Married 1855 in Hobart, Tasmania, aged 50.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Edward Plant

    Arrived in Victoria in 1853 aboard the Appleton, aged 33; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 783 records for Plant in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Canada97 records

97 records of the Plant name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 38
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 24
  • Other Canadian records 35
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Geo Plant

    Came to Ontario in 1876 aboard the Peruvian, landing at Quebec, bound for Ottawa, Ontario; English.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Mildred Marian Presswood Plant

    Buried in 1989 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 80.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  3. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Rose Plant

    Buried in 1943 at Mount Hermon Cemetery, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, aged 61.

    Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax.

Showing 3 of 97 records for Plant in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax. · City of Niagara Falls. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Niagara Falls. · Contains information provided by the City of Waterloo under licence · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0).

United Kingdom63 records

63 records of the Plant name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 51
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 12
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Elizabeth Plant

    Buried in 1827 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 64.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record J. O. Plant

    South Staffordshire Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Elizth Plant

    Buried in 1829 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 63.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Showing 3 of 63 records for Plant in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

New Zealand13 records

13 records of the Plant name in New Zealand
  • Thames-Coromandel District cemetery records 5
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 4
  • Other New Zealand records 4
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Emily Plant

    Died 1939, aged 63; buried at Bromley Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record William Plant

    Buried in 1884 at Shortland Cemetery, Thames-Coromandel District, Waikato, aged 45.

    Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Florence L. Plant

    Died 1992; buried at Picton Cemetery, Marlborough.

    Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 13 records for Plant in New Zealand.

Counts: Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0) · Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

Germany9 records

9 records of the Plant name in Germany Germany's First World War casualty lists, 1914–1919
  1. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Adolf Plant

    From Strinzmargarethä. Reported taken prisoner in the Prussian casualty list of 5 May 1916 (Infantry Regiment No. 171).

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)
  2. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Emil Plant

    From Metz. Reported missing in the Prussian casualty list of 1 November 1918.

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)

Showing 2 of 9 records for Plant in Germany.

Counts: Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Deutsche Verlustlisten, Prussian list 1116, 18 April 1918 (scan via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0).

France4 records

4 records of the Plant name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Renee Blanche Plant

    Born 1901 in Paris; died 1984 in Le Blanc (Indre).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record John Bryan Plant

    Born 1932 in Great Britain; died 1998 in Le Coudray (Eure-et-Loir).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Showing 2 of 4 records for Plant in France.

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Plant.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Plant is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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