Find out how popular the last name Palanca is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Palanca.

Palanca, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Palanca surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Palanca in America

Palanca is the 51723rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Palanca surname appeared 402 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Palanca.

We can also compare 2010 data for Palanca to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Palanca

The surname Palanca has its origins in Spain, and it is believed to date back to the 12th or 13th century. The name is derived from the Spanish word "palanca," which means "lever" or "crowbar." This suggests that the original bearers of the name may have been associated with trades or professions that involved the use of such tools, such as construction or mining.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Palanca can be found in the Catalonian Liber Feudorum Maior, a historical manuscript dating back to the late 13th century. This document contains references to individuals bearing variations of the name, including "Palanca" and "Palancas."

In the 15th century, the name appeared in various records from the Aragon region of Spain, where it was particularly prevalent. During this period, the spelling "Palanca" became more standardized and widely used.

The name Palanca has also been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One such figure was Juan de Palanca, a Spanish military officer who served in the Conquista of Mexico in the 16th century under the command of Hernán Cortés. Another notable bearer of the name was Pedro Palanca, a Spanish painter and engraver who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries.

In the 17th century, the name Palanca can be found in records from the Spanish settlements in the Philippines, indicating that some bearers of the name had migrated to the colonies during this period. One notable individual from this era was Miguel de Palanca, a Spanish colonial administrator who served as the Governor of the Philippines from 1662 to 1668.

As the centuries progressed, the name Palanca continued to be found in various regions of Spain, as well as in Spanish-speaking countries around the world. In the 19th century, Manuel Palanca y Romero, a Spanish writer and politician, gained prominence for his literary works and political career.

Throughout its history, the surname Palanca has also been associated with various place names and geographic locations in Spain. For example, there is a town called Palanca in the province of Teruel, which may have served as the origin for some branches of the family.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Palanca

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Palanca.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Palanca was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Palanca has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Palanca was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Palanca, please contact us.

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