Surname Plumm - Meaning and Origin
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Plumm: What does the surname Plumm mean?
The surname Plumm is an English name that is derived from the Old English word “plum”, which means plum tree. It is believed that the surname is derived from the fact that the families who used the surname either lived or worked near a plum orchard or had a family connection with plums.
Throughout history, the surname was adopted by many families for a variety of reasons, including the livelihood of some families or for a family resemblance. For some families, the surname may have indicated a place of origin or perhaps a profession such as it being a nickname for a plum seller.
The surname Plumm may also represent a characteristic or personality trait. The English language has many proverbs, and one of them is “as sweet as a plum”, which could have been used as a reference to describe a certain family that happened to have Plumm as a surname.
Today, the surname Plumm is quite common and found in many countries across the world. It is also present in records from centuries ago, which helps paint a picture of the where the surname originated and the families that used it. Its prevalence throughout history is a testament to the power of a name and how its meaning and significance can be passed down for generations.
Order DNA origin analysisPlumm: Where does the name Plumm come from?
The surname Plumm is most commonly found in the U.K. and Australia. In Britain, there are around 25,000 people with the surname, mainly living in Lancashire, Essex, Hampshire, Glamorgan and Westmorland. The surname is also prolific in regional areas like Norfolk and Suffolk.
In Australia, the surname Plumm is heavily concentrated in Victoria, mainly around the twin cities of Melbourne and Geelong. It is also common in Northern Tasmania. In the United States, the surname is mainly found in the states of New York, Texas and California.
The name is thought to be of Norman origin, meaning “of the plume of feathers”. The origins of the root word plume are believed to stem from the Latin plumbum, meaning ‘lead’. It’s likely that people bearing the surname Plumm were related to one of the many Norman lords who brought the skill of leadworking with them when they invaded Britain in 1066.
Other theories suggest that the surname might also have origins in the French language, where the word has derived from 'le poumon' which literally translates to 'the lungs". During medieval times, the surname became linked with fan makers, as fans were used to move the air around smokey rooms.
Whichever origin story you believe though, there are still plenty of people proudly bearing the Plumm surname around the world today; approximately 73,000 according to 2019 estimates.
Variations of the surname Plumm
The surname Plumm is derived from the Old French word “plume” which means feather. As such, it is a fairly common surname in English-speaking countries. Variations in spelling of Plumm include Plum, Plummer, Plume, Plumey, Plumes and Plumme.
In some cases, Plumm may be conflated with the surname Plume, which is itself derived from a Welsh word meaning “to reign.” Variations in spelling of Plume include Plumer, Pylm, Polleys, Pooles, Pullin, and Pylle.
In Ireland, Plumm is often anglicized to Plem which has numerous variations such as Plims, Plem, Pleim and Plemme. Variations in spellings of Plem include Plemme, Plim, Pleim, Plym, Plomm, Pylems and Plimme.
In Scotland, Plumm can be anglicized to Plum or Plummer which has numerous spellings such as Plum, Plumm, Plumman, Plowman, ploume, Plam and Plumer. Additionally there are variants Plumme, Plomy and Plumy.
In the United States, Plumm is commonly found in the forms of Plum, Plumm, Plummer and Plume. There are several other American variants such as Plumly, Plumlee, Plumbly, Plummley, Plumer, Plumber, Plum oriented, and Plumehill.
In conclusion, Plumm is a surname with many variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin. It is derived from the Old French “plume” and is commonly found in the spelling forms of Plum, Plumm, Plumer, Plume, Plumey and Plumme. In addition to this, several regional Anglo-Saxon and Irish variants exist, such as Plims, Plem, Pleim and Plemme.
Famous people with the name Plumm
- Lauren Plumm: Canadian actor and voice actor
- Grace Plumm: American actress
- Barry Plumm: American actor
- William Plumm: British actor
- Ivory Plumm: Canadian singer-songwriter
- Graham Plumm: Australian actor
- Caleb Plumm: American entrepreneur
- Brett Plumm: English comedian
- Xavier Plumm: British YouTuber and entrepreneur
- Jenny Plumm: British-Australian actress