Contents [hide]

Platt History Etymology Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Suggested Reading Citations

Platt History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Germany

Etymology of Platt

What does the name Platt mean?

The roots of the distinguished surname Platt lie in Germany, and chronicles claim two different origins for this name. Some sources suggest the origin is found in the mediaeval German word for the maker of breast plates for armor. Other sources claim the name stems from the German word for "plateau."

Early Origins of the Platt family

The surname Platt was first found in Brandenburg, where the name was an integral part of a feudal society which would shape modern European history. Many prominent branches of the family would strive to make this name renowned as they contributed to the social, economic and political affairs of the region. One of the earliest known bearers of this name was the knight Otto cum Plata ("breast plate",) who lived at Ruegen around 1255.

Platten is an Ortsgemeinde (municipality) in the Bernkastel-Wittlich district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany that dates back to at least 1084 when it was first listed as "villa Platana."

Early History of the Platt family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Platt research. Another 277 words (20 lines of text) covering the years 1190, 1536, 1563, 1565, 1574, 1604, 1614, 1628, 1669, 1796 and 1835 are included under the topic Early Platt History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Platt Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Plath, Plathe, Plather, Plate, Plat, Plater, Platt, Platter, Platten, Platen, Platener, Platner, Plattener, Pletener, Plettener, Plaettner, Plaetner, Plaeth, Plathner, Plett, Pletter, Pletten, Pleten, Pleter, Plettner, Blate, Blatte, Blatten, Blath and many more.

Early Notables of the Platt family

Notable figures of the time with the name Platt were

Thomas Platter, who was a prominent humanist from Basel...
His elder son Felix Platter (1536-1614) was professor of medicine at Basel, while his younger son Thomas Platter (1574-1628) was a distinguished physician...

Platt Ranking

In the United States, the name Platt is the 1,504^th most popular surname with an estimated 19,896 people with that name. 1 However, in the United Kingdom, the name Platt is ranked the 647^th most popular surname with an estimated 10,084 people with that name. 2

Platt migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Platt Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Gilbert Platt, who landed in Virginia in 1635 3
Lawrence Platt, aged 15, who arrived in Virginia in 1635 aboard the ship "Thomas & John" 3
Richard Platt, who landed in New Haven, Connecticut in 1638 3
Law Platt, who arrived in Virginia in 1652 3
Henry Platt, who landed in Virginia in 1664 3
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Platt Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Peter Platt, who arrived in Virginia in 1702 3
Samuel Platt, who landed in Virginia in 1703 3
Randolph Platt, who arrived in Virginia in 1719 3
Henrich Platt, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1744 3

Platt Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Robert Platt, who arrived in America in 1803 3
John Platt, aged 38, who landed in Maryland in 1812 3
Matthias Platt, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1853 3
George H Platt, who arrived in Illinois in 1856-1864 3
Alfred, Euclid, Francis, George, Henry, James, John, Joseph, Robert, Samuel, Thomas, and William Platt, who all, who arrived in Philadelphia between 1800 and 1865
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Platt migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Platt Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Mr. John Platt U.E. who settled in Montreal, Quebec c. 1786 member of the Secret Service 4

Platt Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Isabella Platt, aged 20, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Perseus" in 1834
Alex Platt, who landed in Victoria, British Columbia in 1862

Platt migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Platt Settlers in Australia in the 18th Century

Mr. James Platt, English convict who was convicted in Bristol, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Barwell" in September 1797, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 5

Platt Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Miss Charlotte Platt, English convict who was convicted in Lancaster, Lancashire, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Earl of Liverpool" in December 1830, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 6
Mr. James Platt who was convicted in Lancaster, Lancashire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "England"on 31st March 1832, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 7
Mr. Joseph Platt who was convicted in West Riding, Yorkshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "England"on 31st March 1832, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 7
Mr. Joseph Platt, English convict who was convicted in Knutsford, Cheshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Barossa" on 27th August 1841, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 8
Mr. William Platt, English convict who was convicted in Lancaster, Lancashire, England for 15 years, transported aboard the "Emerald Isle" on 25th June 1842, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 9
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Platt migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Platt Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Edmund Platt, aged 26, a plasterer, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Waimea" in 1876
Eliza Platt, aged 24, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Waimea" in 1876
Walter Platt, aged 1, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Waimea" in 1876
Alice Platt, aged 6 months, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Waimea" in 1876
Mr. Frederick E. Platt, (b. 1852), aged 26, English farm labourer from Derbyshire departing on 10th August 1878 aboard the ship "Hydaspes" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 9th November 1878
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Platt (post 1700) +

Thomas Collier Platt Jr. (1925-2017), American jurist, Senior Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York (2001-2017)
Charles Platt (b. 1945), American author, journalist, and computer programmer
Campion Platt (b. 1959), American architect
Charles Adams Platt (1861-1933), prominent American artist, landscape gardener, landscape designer, and architect
Edward Platt (1916-1974), American character actor, best remembered for his role as the Chief in the television series "Get Smart"
Marc Platt (b. 1913), American ballet dancer and musical theatre performer
Lewis Platt (1941-2005), American CEO for Hewlett-Packard
Joseph Beaven Platt (b. 1915), American physicist, educator and administrator, who was a member of the National Academy of Sciences
Benjamin Platt, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for New York State Assembly from Westchester County 6th District, 1954; Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from New York, 1960 10
Benjamin Platt, American politician, Member of Connecticut State House of Representatives from Prospect, 1829, 1838 10
... (Another 89 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Platt family +

Flight 191

Ms M Platt (d. 1979), American passenger from East Lansing, Michigan, USA, who flew aboard American Airlines Flight 191 and died in the crash 11

HMAS Sydney II

Mr. Robert Platt (1917-1941), Australian Stoker 2nd Class from Williamstown, Victoria, Australia, who sailed into battle aboard HMAS Sydney II and died in the sinking 12

HMS Cornwall

Richard Platt (d. 1942), British Engine Room Artificer 3rd Class aboard the HMS Cornwall when she was struck by air bombers and sunk; he died in the sinking 13

HMS Prince of Wales

Mr. L Platt, British Petty Officer, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking 14
Mr. Platt, British Boy 1st Class, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and died in the sinking 14

Pan Am Flight 103 (Lockerbie)

David Platt (1955-1988), American Architect from Staten Island, New York, America, who flew aboard the Pan Am Flight 103 from Frankfurt to Detroit, known as the Lockerbie bombing in 1988 and died 15

RMS Titanic

Mr. W. Platt (d. 1912), aged 18, English Scullion from Southampton, Hampshire who worked aboard the RMS Titanic and died in the sinking 16

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 29th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/barwell
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 20th August 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/earl-of-liverpool
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 26th April 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/england
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 24th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/barossa
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 27th March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/emily
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 13) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Flight 191's Victims - latimes. (Retrieved 2014, April 16) . Retrieved from http://articles.latimes.com/1985-08-04/news/mn-4349_1_fort-lauderdale-area
HMAS Sydney II, Finding Sydney Foundation - Roll of Honour. (Retrieved 2014, April 24) . Retrieved from http://www.findingsydney.com/roll.asp
Force Z Survivors Crew List HMS Cornwall (Retrieved 2018, February 13th) - Retrieved from https://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listcornwallcrew.html#A
HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html
Pan Am Flight 103's victims: A list of those killed 25 years ago | syracuse.com. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2013/12/pan_am_flight_103s_victims_a_list_of_those_killed_25_years_ago.html
Titanic Passenger List - Titanic Facts. (Retrieved 2016, July 13) . Retrieved from http://www.titanicfacts.net/titanic-passenger-list.html