★ Be on time for a wonderful present this year · Order by Dec 8 (US) · Dec 9 (UK & AU) · All dates ›

Plowman Surname Meaning & Origin

What the Plowman last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.

Order your pack and our heraldry team researches and paints the Plowman coat of arms for you.

Meaning and origin of the Plowman last name

Meaning of the Plowman last name: ploughman. Plowman is an English surname for a ploughman, a farm worker who drove the plough, from Middle English plouman. The last name was common in the Midlands. William Langland's poem Piers Plowman made the occupation a famous symbol of honest labour.

Arms associated with the Plowman name

Heraldry associated with the Plowman surname uses a few strong colours, and each coat of arms has its own blazon.

Get your full Plowman family history

This is only a glimpse of the Plowman story. The full Plowman history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Plowman coat of arms. Get the full Plowman report.

Plowman name FAQ

What does the Plowman name mean?

ploughman. Common variants include Ploughman, Plouman.

Where does the Plowman surname come from?

It originates in England, and is also found in Australia, Canada and the United States.

Is there a Plowman coat of arms?

Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Plowman coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.

Sources: Reaney & Wilson, Dictionary of English Surnames; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).