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Plaw Family History

Plaw Surname Meaning

For someone who lived by a place where sports and games were played, the term originates from Middle English plaghe, plawe, pleie, ploghe, and plowe, which come from Old English plega, plæga, and plaga, meaning ‘play, sport, game, merriment,’ and by transference, ‘play-place.’

The Sussex and Surrey surname specifically traces back to Plawhatch Hall, formerly in East Grinstead, Sussex, recorded as La Plawe in 1281 and Plagh(e) in 1285. This indicates a historical connection to a specific location associated with games and sports.

Additionally, the medieval examples without a preposition may alternatively derive from the word in (i) as an epithet for someone who played games or had a merry disposition. This illustrates how names and terms evolve based on cultural activities and places.

Source: The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain, 2021


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Where is the Plaw family from?

You can see how Plaw families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Plaw family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Plaw families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 17 Plaw families living in Surrey. This was about 45% of all the recorded Plaw's in United Kingdom. Surrey had the highest population of Plaw families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Plaw surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Plaw ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Plaw. 100% of Plaw men worked as a General Labourer and 89% of Plaw women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Plaw | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • General Labourer
    100%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    89%
  • Incapacitated
    12%

What Plaw family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 2,000 census records available for the last name Plaw. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Plaw census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Plaw

Passenger Lists

There are 59 immigration records available for the last name Plaw. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Plaw immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 189 military records available for the last name Plaw. For the veterans among your Plaw ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Plaw military records

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What is the average Plaw lifespan?

Between 1968 and 1999, in the United States, Plaw life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1968, and highest in 1999. The average life expectancy for Plaw in 1968 was 47, and 94 in 1999.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Plaw

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Plaw ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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