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Plater Family History

Plater Name Meaning

English:: occupational name for a maker of plate armor or armor-plates from an agent derivative of Middle English plate ‘armor-plate’. from an agent derivative of Old French plait ‘plea’ or plaitier ‘to plead’ hence an occupational name or nickname for an advocate.

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


Similar surnames: Platner, Plaster, Player, Plate, Prater, Slater, Place, Paster, Cater

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 Plater family from?

You can see how Plater families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Plater family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Plater families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1840 there were 3 Plater families living in Maryland. This was about 30% of all the recorded Plater's in USA. Maryland and 1 other state had the highest population of Plater families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Plater surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Plater ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Domestic were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Plater. 30% of Plater men worked as a Laborer and 20% of Plater women worked as a Domestic. Some less common occupations for Americans named Plater were Truck Driver and Cook. .

View Census Data for Plater | 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
    30%
  • Farmer
    24%
  • Farm Laborer
    9%
  • Truck Driver
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Domestic
    20%
  • Servant
    15%
  • Maid
    13%
  • Cook
    10%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Plater family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 19,000 census records available for the last name Plater. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Plater census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Plater

Passenger Lists

There are 1,000 immigration records available for the last name Plater. 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 Plater immigration records

Draft Cards

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

View all Plater military records

You've only scratched the surface of Plater family history

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What is the average Plater lifespan?

Between 1954 and 2004, in the United States, Plater life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1961, and highest in 1966. The average life expectancy for Plater in 1954 was 37, and 68 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Plater

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Plater family tree

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