2000
#7,080
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,357
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.62
Rare Last name
Depalma
An Italian occupational surname referring to a person who worked with palms or palm leaves.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,636 Americans carry the last name Depalma. That puts it at #7,875 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.35 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 73,933 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Depalma surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
4.6K
1 in 73,933
Census rank
#7,875
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,043 bearers of the surname Depalma in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.35 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7875th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Depalma, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.4%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Depalma
The surname DePalma originated in Italy, specifically in the regions of Campania and Sicily, during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Latin word "palma," which means "palm tree." This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with people who lived near palm trees or worked with palm products.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name DePalma can be found in the Codice Diplomatico Barese, a collection of medieval documents from the city of Bari, in southern Italy. The name appears in a document dated 1189, referring to a person named Matteo de Palma.
In the 13th century, the name DePalma was also found in Sicily, as evidenced by a reference to a certain Nicolò de Palma in a document from the city of Palermo, dated 1258.
During the Renaissance period, the DePalma family gained prominence in the city of Naples, where they were involved in various trades and professions. One notable figure from this time was Giovan Battista DePalma, a renowned painter and architect who lived from 1548 to 1628.
In the 17th century, a branch of the DePalma family settled in the town of Sorrento, near Naples. One of their descendants, Giuseppe DePalma (1734-1806), was a respected lawyer and magistrate.
Another historically significant individual with the surname DePalma was Federico DePalma (1856-1925), an Italian politician and journalist who served as a member of the Italian Parliament and was a vocal advocate for workers' rights.
As the DePalma family spread throughout Italy and beyond, variations of the name emerged, such as Palma, Palmieri, and Palmese. These variations often reflected regional linguistic differences or were adopted to distinguish different branches of the family.
In the 19th century, many individuals with the surname DePalma immigrated to the United States, particularly from the regions of Campania and Sicily. One notable example is Antonio DePalma (1869-1949), a successful businessman and community leader who settled in New York City.
Throughout history, the surname DePalma has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including artists, politicians, lawyers, and entrepreneurs, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and achievements of those who have carried this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Depalma
Among Census respondents with the surname Depalma, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.4%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Depalma bearers 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 surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Depalma surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.3% · 3,651
- Hispanic or Latino6.4% · 258
- Two or more races2.0% · 79
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 31
- Black or African American0.4% · 15
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Depalma
Depalma appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#7,677
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,324
-33 bearers (-0.8%)
Per 100,000 1.47
Rank movement Down 597 places
2020
#7,875
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,043
-281 bearers (-6.5%)
Per 100,000 1.35
Rank movement Down 198 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,080 | 4,357 | 1.62 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,677 | 4,324 | 1.47 | -33 bearers (-0.8%) | Down 597 places |
| 2020 | #7,875 | 4,043 | 1.35 | -281 bearers (-6.5%) | Down 198 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Depalma surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #7,677 | #7,875 | -2.6% |
| Count | 4,324 | 4,043 | -6.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.47 | 1.35 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Depalma bearers went from 4,324 to 4,043 (-6.5% change). The surname moved down 198 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,677 to #7,875.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Depalma
FAQ
Depalma surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Depalma?
Name Census estimates that about 4,636 living Americans carry the surname Depalma. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 73,933 residents.
How common is Depalma?
Depalma ranks #7,875 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.35 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,043 people with the surname Depalma. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,636), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.35 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.35 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Depalma.
Has Depalma become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Depalma went from 4,324 recorded bearers to 4,043. That is a decrease of 281 (-6.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,677 to #7,875.
What does the Census say about the background of Depalma?
Among Census respondents with the surname Depalma, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.4%) and Two or More Races (2.0%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Depalma in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.3% (3,651 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Depalma appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.3%), Hispanic (6.4%), Two or More Races (2.0%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Depalma (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Depalma mean?
An Italian occupational surname referring to a person who worked with palms or palm leaves. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Depalma (1.35 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Depalma?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.