An English and German surname, Platt comes from the Old French term of ‘plat’ which means thin or flat. In the Old English the term ‘plat’ refers to a piece of land. Variations in spelling for Platt include Plait, Blatt, Plat, Platte and Plate. In England the Platt families started in the northern Lancashire region. From there they spread over most of England and into Wales. Most still lived in Lancashire, Yorkshire and Cheshire counties. In Scotland the Platt name is mostly in the southern region, especially in Midlothian, Lanarkshire and Renfrewshire counties. Within the United States the first Platt settlers were in Connecticut, New York and Pennsylvania. Later they lived in across most of the country especially in New York, Pennsylvania, California, Texas, South Carolina and Michigan. Famous: Clive L. Platt (professional footballer of England), Lewis Platt (the CEO of Hewlett-Packard Co.), Charles A. Platt (acclaimed landscape designer and architect), Marc Platt (professional ballet dancer), Alyce Platt (actress in Australia) and Edward Platt (television and movie film actor).