This is a slightly anglicised spelling of the Germanic version of a topographical name, originally of Roman origin - "for one who lived by a Plum Tree Orchard". The derivation is from the latin "Pruna" and the alternative spellings include Pflaumbaum, Pfraumbaum, Prumenbaum, Plumbohn, Pruinboom, Flaumenbaum, Plumbhon, Pruinboom, Flaumenboin, Floumanboum etc..,the name being considered to be both Germanic and Yiddish intermixing. In England the name is Plum, Plumb, Plumbe or Plumtree, the origination being from the villages of Plumtree in Devon and Nottinghamshire. We have not been able to establish a proven original German recording of the medieval period owing to loss of records in War. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of William de Plumtre. which was dated 1330, The Pipe Rolls of Nottinghamshire. during the reign of King Edward III, The Father of the Navy, 1327 - 1377. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.