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Planter Family History

Planter Name Meaning

English: occupational name from Middle English pla(u)nter ‘one who sets plants or sows seeds’ perhaps denoting an agricultural farmer or a gardener.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Plaster, Panter, Planer, Plater, Platter, Plante, Plantier, Lanter

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Planter family from?

You can see how Planter families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Planter family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Planter families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 4 Planter families living in Virginia. This was about 67% of all the recorded Planter's in USA. Virginia had the highest population of Planter families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Planter surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Planter ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Maid were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Planter. 39% of Planter men worked as a Laborer and 50% of Planter women worked as a Maid. Some less common occupations for Americans named Planter were Farm Laborer and Servant. .

View Census Data for Planter | 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 1940

  • Laborer
    39%
  • Farmer
    31%
  • Teamster
    16%
  • Farm Laborer
    16%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Maid
    50%
  • Servant
    50%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Planter family records will you find?

Census Records

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

Search US census records for Planter

Passenger Lists

There are 1,000 immigration records available for the last name Planter. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Planter immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 1,000 military records available for the last name Planter. For the veterans among your Planter ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Planter military records

You've only scratched the surface of Planter family history

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What is the average Planter lifespan?

Between 1952 and 2004, in the United States, Planter life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1970, and highest in 2003. The average life expectancy for Planter in 1952 was 57, and 87 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Planter

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