Recorded in a number of spellings some far removed from the original form, this is an English surname. These spellings include such as Ploughman, Plowman, Plumen, Plimmin, Plimmon and even Pleming. However spelt all are occupational and describe a ploughman, the most important of all medieval agricultural workers. The derivation is from the Old English pre 7th century word "ploh", a plough and "mann", a skilled man. However, the name was also given to a maker of ploughs, since ploughing was shared at the appropriate season by all male members of the agricultural community. The surname perhaps not surprsingly is one of the earliest recorded, and examples include Philip Ploman of Essex in 1225, John le Plouman of Lincoln in 1275, John Plowman of Lincoln in 1345, and John Plewman of Yorkshire ,in 1560. Amongst the many unusual recordings in the surviving registers of the diocese of Greater London, are those of George Pleming, christened at St Giles Cripplegate, on July 19th 1691, and Richard Pliymin, a witness at St Pauls, Deptford, Kent, on November 2nd 1755. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Robert Pleueman. This was dated 1223, in the "Curia Regis" Rolls for Wiltshire. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop," often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

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