Palmina
Of Latin origin, meaning "Little Palm" or "Palm Tree".
Name Census estimates that about 12 living Americans carry the first name Palmina. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Palmina today is around 94 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Palmina births was 1928 (18 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Palmina. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Palmina is about 94 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Palminas were born before 1942.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Palmina. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
12
~ 1 in 28,562,862 Americans
Peak year
1928
18 babies that year
Average age
94
years old
1946 SSA rank
#5,514
Tracked since 1911
Census
Palmina in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 145 people with the first name Palmina, which placed it at #46,211 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#46,211
National first-name rank
People counted
145
145 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.0
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
White
93.1% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Palmina
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Palmina is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (1.4%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Palmina described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Palmina at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.1% · 135
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 5
- Two or more races1.4% · 2
- Black or African American0.7% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 1
Popularity
Palmina: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Palmina from the 1910s through to the 1940s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 123 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1920s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Palmina by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Palmina during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Palminas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts recorded the most babies named Palmina, while Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 21 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Palmina
Palmina is a feminine given name with origins tracing back to ancient Roman times. It is derived from the Latin word "palma," meaning "palm tree" or "victory." The name likely originated in the Mediterranean region where palm trees were abundant and held cultural significance.
During the Roman era, the palm branch was a symbol of triumph and victory. It was customary for victors in battles or competitions to be adorned with palm fronds. As such, Palmina may have initially been bestowed upon girls born into families celebrating a recent victory or achievement.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Palmina can be found in Roman inscriptions and documents from the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD. One notable bearer of the name was Palmina Procula, a Roman noblewoman who lived in the 3rd century and was known for her philanthropic work.
In the Middle Ages, Palmina remained in use, though it was less common than other names derived from Latin roots. It is recorded that a Benedictine nun named Palmina lived in a convent in Italy during the 12th century, renowned for her piety and dedication to her faith.
As the Renaissance period dawned, the name Palmina experienced a resurgence in popularity, particularly in Italy. One notable bearer was Palmina Negroni (1516-1589), an Italian painter and one of the few female artists of her time to achieve recognition and success.
In the 17th century, Palmina Vieira (1608-1693) was a Portuguese writer and poet, celebrated for her contributions to the Golden Age of Portuguese literature. Her works explored themes of love, spirituality, and the human condition.
Moving into the 19th century, Palmina Pelleschi (1837-1901) was an Italian operatic soprano who performed in many of the major opera houses across Europe, including La Scala and the Royal Opera House in London.
While not as common in modern times, Palmina has maintained a presence throughout history, carrying with it the rich heritage of its Roman origins and associations with victory, achievement, and cultural significance.
People
Palmina + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Palmina as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with P
Other first names starting with P with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Palmina: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Palmina?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 12 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Palmina going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 28,562,862 US residents.
Is Palmina a common name?
We classify Palmina as "Very Rare". It ranks above 32.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 273 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Palmina most popular?
The single biggest year for Palmina was 1928, when 18 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Palmina is about 94 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Palmina in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 145 people with the name Palmina, or 0.05 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #46,211 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Palmina in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Palmina?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Palmina appears almost entirely female. Of the 142 people counted with this name, 99.3% were female and only a very small share were male. The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Palmina?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Palmina is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (1.4%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Palmina most often in the Census?
White is the largest reported group for people named Palmina in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.1% (135 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Palmina in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Palmina a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Palmina in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Palmina still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Palmina in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Palmina can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
How many people share the name Palmina?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.