The Plunkett surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 10,758 people carried this name — #3,335 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 27,400 people counted. That is up 2% from 10,571 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Plunkett surname

From the Norman habitational surname, from the village of Pleugueneuc, in Brittany, said to be from Breton plou (“parish”) (from Latin plebs) + the personal name Guenec, formed from gwenn (“white”). As an Irish surname, it has been Gaelicized in Pluincéid.

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

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a local name, from where the family lived: ‘of Plukenet’ — the first of the origins he gives.

An early record he cites: Joceus de Plukenet, Berkshire, 1273 — Hundred Rolls.

His entry covers Plunkett, Plunket and Plunkitt.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 612 · public domain.

In Ireland’s birth registers, 1890

Ireland registered 28 births for the Plunkett name in 1890.

Most were registered in Leinster. By the Registrar-General’s own method — births multiplied by 44.38 — that is about 1,200 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time. 7 of them were indexed under other spellings of the name. The Registrar-General’s note on the name: “Dublin.”

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they were born, 1890

Leinster 20
Ulster 6
Connacht 2

Registrar-General for Ireland, «Special Report on Surnames in Ireland» (R. E. Matheson, 1894), births index of 1890 — public domain.

In Argentina’s national register

At least 99 people named Plunkett live in Argentina.

RENAPER only publishes a name in a province when more than ten people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in La Pampa.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they live today

La Pampa 38
Buenos Aires Province 31
Río Negro 18
Neuquén 12

RENAPER (National Registry of Persons, Argentina), surnames of residents by province, December 2021 — CC BY 4.0.

In print

Plunkett in American newspapers,
1904–1908.

Newspaper page from Orleans County Monitor carrying the name Plunkett
Orleans County Monitor 1908-09-16
Newspaper page from The Pacific Commercial Advertiser carrying the name Plunkett
The Pacific Commercial Advertiser 1904-12-11
Newspaper page from The Pacific Commercial Advertiser carrying the name Plunkett
The Pacific Commercial Advertiser 1905-12-17

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 63,094 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Plunkett in Australian newspapers,
1820s–2000s.

42,996 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Plunkett. The most, 7,225, date from the 1930s. New South Wales has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in Queensland, at 1.9 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 18,121
Queensland 13,121
South Australia 4,582
Victoria 3,462
Western Australia 2,247
Tasmania 1,336
ACT (Canberra) 67
Northern Territory 21

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

Who carried it

People named Plunkett,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Richard Plunkett d. 1393 · judge
  • Arthur Plunkett d. 1937 · engineer
  • Keith Plunkett d. 1994 · politician
  • Mary Plunkett d. 1645
  • Randal Plunkett, 10th Lord Dunsany d. 1735
  • Lady Amelia Plunkett d. 1757

Wikidata (CC0) · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Plunkett,
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 States2,099 records

2,099 records of the Plunkett name in the United States
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 724
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 430
  • Other U.S. records 945
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record George W. Plunkett

    Born 1922 in New York. Enlisted 1942 at New York City; mechanic from Queens County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1988, buried at Long Island National Cemetery, New York.

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

    Arrived at New York in 1885 aboard the Baltic from Liverpool and Queenstown, aged 23; servant. From Leitrim, Ireland.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)
  3. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Robert Stephen Plunkett

    Born 1948; from North Randolph, Massachusetts. U.S. Marine Corps, rifleman; killed in action 1968 in Quang Tri, South Vietnam.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)

Showing 3 of 2,099 records for Plunkett 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. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · New York State, Open NY (police and firefighter memorial rolls) · Ramsey County, Minnesota (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); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain).

Australia799 records

799 records of the Plunkett name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 396
  • Tasmanian Names Index 210
  • Other Australian records 193
  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 Ellen Plunkett

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Waverley, sailing from London Dublin in 1847. Native of Sligo. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1850. Married 1850 in Spring Bay, Tasmania.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record William Plunkett

    Died 1907 in New¿norfolk, Tasmania. Will registered in Tasmania in 1907.

    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 Bridget Plunkett

    Arrived in Victoria in 1854 aboard the Queen of the Seas, aged 40; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 799 records for Plunkett in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · ACT Government, Transport Canberra and City Services (CC BY 4.0) · 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); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Canada22 records

22 records of the Plunkett name in Canada
  • City of Calgary cemetery records 7
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 6
  • Other Canadian records 9
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Edward Alexander Plunkett

    Buried in 1977 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 74.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Francis C. Plunkett

    Married 1876 in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  3. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record Edward Arthur Patrick Plunkett

    Died in service in 1917.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.

Showing 3 of 22 records for Plunkett in Canada.

Counts: City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0).

United Kingdom6 records

6 records of the Plunkett name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 5
  • Stirling Council burial records 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Mary Plunkett

    Buried in 1931 at Ballengeich Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland, aged 50.

    Stirling Council. 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 A. R. Plunkett

    Lance Corporal, Royal Fusiliers. 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 First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record T. Plunkett

    Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 6 records for Plunkett in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · Stirling Council. 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).

Netherlands4 records

4 records of the Plunkett name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 3
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 1
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Joris Plunkett

    Married in 1679 in Bergen op Zoom; born in Ireland.

    Open Archives, West Brabants Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Patricia Rosina Plunkett

    Married in 1946 in Rheden.

    Open Archives, Gelders Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Eugenie Plunkett

    Died 1811 in Breda.

    Open Archives, Brabants Historisch Informatie Centrum (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 4 records for Plunkett 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); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

New Zealand2 records

2 records of the Plunkett name in New Zealand Christchurch City cemetery records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Robert Plunkett

    Died 1900, aged 54; buried at Linwood 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 Mary H. Plunkett

    Died 1901; buried at Linwood Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

Ireland1 record

1 record of the Plunkett name in Ireland County Galway graveyard records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Bridget Plunkett

    Died 1829, aged 56; buried at Kilcummin, Co. Galway.

    Galway County Council (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Galway County Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

France1 record

1 record of the Plunkett 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 Paricia Rosina Plunkett

    Born 1911 in the United Kingdom; died 1990 in Nice (Alpes-Maritimes).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

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 Plunkett.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Plunkett 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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