2000
#4,731
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,860
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.54
Rare Last name
Palacio
A Spanish toponymic surname referring to someone who lived or worked in or near a palace.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 9,980 Americans carry the last name Palacio. That puts it at #3,957 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.91 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 34,344 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Palacio 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
10.0K
1 in 34,344
Census rank
#3,957
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
8.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 8,703 bearers of the surname Palacio in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.91 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3957th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Palacio, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 80.8%. The next largest groups are White (7.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (6.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Palacio
The surname Palacio originated in Spain during the medieval period. It is derived from the Spanish word "palacio," which means "palace" or "manor house." The name likely referred to someone who lived or worked in a palace or was associated with a noble family.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Palacio can be found in the Libro de la Montería, a 14th-century hunting treatise commissioned by King Alfonso XI of Castile. The document mentions a person named Pedro Palacio, who was a nobleman and attendant to the king.
In the 15th century, the name appears in various historical records from the region of Aragon in northeastern Spain. For example, a document from the archives of the city of Zaragoza mentions a certain Juan Palacio, a landowner and prominent citizen.
During the 16th century, the surname Palacio became more widespread throughout Spain, particularly in the regions of Castile, Extremadura, and Andalusia. One notable figure from this era was Diego Palacio y Salcedo (c. 1520-1597), a Spanish soldier and author who wrote a treatise on military strategy.
In the 17th century, the name Palacio was also found in Spanish colonial records from the Americas. One example is Juan de Palacio (c. 1600-1670), a Spanish conquistador and explorer who participated in the conquest of the territory that is now part of Mexico and Guatemala.
Another prominent individual with the surname Palacio was Miguel de Palacio (1677-1743), a Spanish architect and engineer who designed several important buildings in Madrid, including the Royal Palace of Aranjuez.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, the surname Palacio continued to be well-represented in various parts of Spain and its colonies. For instance, Manuel del Palacio (1832-1904) was a Spanish poet and playwright who gained recognition for his contributions to the romantic and costumbristic literary movements.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Palacio
Among Census respondents with the surname Palacio, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 80.8%. The next largest groups are White (7.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (6.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Palacio 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 Palacio surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino80.8% · 7,032
- White7.5% · 652
- Asian and Pacific Islander6.3% · 552
- Black or African American3.8% · 335
- Two or more races1.1% · 98
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 34
Timeline
Historical Census data for Palacio
Palacio 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
#4,220
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,400
+1,540 bearers (+22.4%)
Per 100,000 2.85
Rank movement Up 511 places
2020
#3,957
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,703
+303 bearers (+3.6%)
Per 100,000 2.91
Rank movement Up 263 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,731 | 6,860 | 2.54 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,220 | 8,400 | 2.85 | +1,540 bearers (+22.4%) | Up 511 places |
| 2020 | #3,957 | 8,703 | 2.91 | +303 bearers (+3.6%) | Up 263 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 Palacio 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 | #4,220 | #3,957 | 6.2% |
| Count | 8,400 | 8,703 | 3.6% |
| Per 100K | 2.85 | 2.91 | 2.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Palacio bearers went from 8,400 to 8,703 (+3.6% change). The surname moved up 263 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,220 to #3,957.
FAQ
Palacio surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Palacio?
Name Census estimates that about 9,980 living Americans carry the surname Palacio. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 34,344 residents.
How common is Palacio?
Palacio ranks #3,957 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.91 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 8,703 people with the surname Palacio. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (9,980), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.91 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.91 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Palacio.
Has Palacio become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Palacio went from 8,400 recorded bearers to 8,703. That is an increase of 303 (+3.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #4,220 to #3,957.
What does the Census say about the background of Palacio?
Among Census respondents with the surname Palacio, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 80.8%. The next largest groups are White (7.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (6.3%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Palacio in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.8% (7,032 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Palacio appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (80.8%), White (7.5%), Asian/Pacific Islander (6.3%). 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 Palacio (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 Palacio mean?
A Spanish toponymic surname referring to someone who lived or worked in or near a palace. 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 Palacio (2.91 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 have the last name Palacio?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Palacio on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.