2010
#150,452
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Palar
A Tamil surname commonly found amongst Mudaliar communities in South India.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 115 Americans carry the last name Palar. That puts it at #155,682 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,980,473 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Palar 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
115
1 in 2,980,473
Census rank
#155,682
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
100
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 100 bearers of the surname Palar in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155682nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Palar, the largest self-reported group is White at 50.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (35.0%) and Two or More Races (7.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Palar
The surname PALAR is believed to have originated in the Indian subcontinent, specifically in the Tamil-speaking regions of southern India. The name is derived from the Tamil word "paLar," which means "millet" or "grain." It is thought to have been an occupational surname given to those involved in the cultivation, processing, or trading of millet and other grains.
In ancient Tamil literature and inscriptions, the name PALAR can be found dating back to the 7th and 8th centuries CE. One notable early reference is in the Vaikunta Perumal Temple inscriptions from the 8th century, which mention individuals with the surname PALAR holding prominent positions in the temple administration.
The earliest recorded individual with the surname PALAR is believed to be Palar Andi, a renowned Tamil poet who lived in the 9th century CE. His works, including the celebrated "Palar Andi Malai," are considered masterpieces of Tamil literature.
During the medieval period, the PALAR surname was also associated with the Chola dynasty, one of the most powerful empires in South India. Several officials and administrators bearing the PALAR name served under the Chola rulers.
In the 14th century, a notable figure named Palar Sundara Pandyan is recorded in the Pandyan kingdom's inscriptions. He was a prominent minister and advisor to the Pandyan king, known for his expertise in agriculture and land management.
Another historically significant individual with the surname PALAR was Palar Ayyan, a 17th-century Tamil scholar and philosopher. His work, "Palar Ayyan Arunachala Vilakkam," is a revered text that explores the philosophical and spiritual aspects of the Tamil tradition.
Throughout the centuries, the PALAR surname has been associated with various regions in Tamil Nadu, including areas around Chennai, Madurai, and Thanjavur. It has also spread to other parts of India and the diaspora, with individuals bearing this name found in Sri Lanka, Malaysia, and other parts of the world with Tamil communities.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Palar
Among Census respondents with the surname Palar, the largest self-reported group is White at 50.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (35.0%) and Two or More Races (7.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Palar 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 Palar surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White50.0% · 50
- Asian and Pacific Islander35.0% · 35
- Two or more races7.0% · 7
- Hispanic or Latino5.0% · 5
- Black or African American3.0% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Palar
Palar appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#155,682
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
-9 bearers (-8.3%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 5,230 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #150,452 | 109 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #155,682 | 100 | 0.03 | -9 bearers (-8.3%) | Down 5,230 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 Palar 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 | #150,452 | #155,682 | -3.5% |
| Count | 109 | 100 | -8.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -16.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Palar bearers went from 109 to 100 (-8.3% change). The surname moved down 5,230 positions in the national ranking, going from #150,452 to #155,682.
FAQ
Palar surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Palar?
Name Census estimates that about 115 living Americans carry the surname Palar. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,980,473 residents.
How common is Palar?
Palar ranks #155,682 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 100 people with the surname Palar. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (115), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Palar.
Has Palar become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Palar went from 109 recorded bearers to 100. That is a decrease of 9 (-8.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #150,452 to #155,682.
What does the Census say about the background of Palar?
Among Census respondents with the surname Palar, the largest self-reported group is White at 50.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (35.0%) and Two or More Races (7.0%). 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 Palar in the 2020 Census, accounting for 50.0% (50 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Palar appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (50.0%), Asian/Pacific Islander (35.0%), Two or More Races (7.0%). 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 Palar (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 Palar mean?
A Tamil surname commonly found amongst Mudaliar communities in South India. 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 Palar (0.03 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 Palar?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.