2010
#156,044
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Palega
A surname believed to be of Greek origin, possibly referring to a place name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 124 Americans carry the last name Palega. That puts it at #150,935 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,764,148 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Palega 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
124
1 in 2,764,148
Census rank
#150,935
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
108
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 108 bearers of the surname Palega in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150935th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Palega, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 41.7%. The next largest groups are White (25.0%) and Hispanic (21.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Palega
The surname PALEGA is believed to have originated in Italy, specifically in the region of Calabria. It is thought to have derived from the Greek word "paleghos," which means "strong" or "sturdy." This could suggest that the name was initially given to someone who possessed these physical qualities or perhaps someone who worked in a profession that required strength, such as farming or manual labor.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the PALEGA surname can be traced back to the 16th century. In 1572, a document from the town of Reggio Calabria mentions a certain Giovanni Palega, who was a landowner and farmer. This provides an indication that the name was already established in the area during that time period.
Throughout the centuries, the PALEGA surname has been associated with several notable individuals. In the late 17th century, there was a Sicilian painter named Filippo Palega, who was known for his religious artworks and portraits. He was born in Palermo in 1670 and died in the same city in 1732.
Another prominent figure was Vincenzo Palega, a 19th-century Italian politician and lawyer. He was born in Naples in 1828 and served as a member of the Italian parliament, representing the constituency of Reggio Calabria. Palega was actively involved in the political unification of Italy and played a role in the Risorgimento movement.
In the realm of literature, the PALEGA surname is associated with Antonio Palega, an Italian poet and writer from the late 19th century. He was born in Catanzaro, Calabria, in 1874 and published several volumes of poetry, including "Canti della Terra Natia" (Songs of the Native Land), which celebrated the beauty and traditions of his homeland.
Moving into the 20th century, there was a notable Italian-American named Joseph Palega, who was born in New York City in 1920. He served in the United States Army during World War II and later became a successful businessman, establishing a prominent construction company in the New York metropolitan area.
While the PALEGA surname may not be as widely known as some others, it has a rich history and has been carried by individuals who have made significant contributions in various fields, from the arts and literature to politics and business.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Palega
Among Census respondents with the surname Palega, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 41.7%. The next largest groups are White (25.0%) and Hispanic (21.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Palega 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 Palega surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander41.7% · 45
- White25.0% · 27
- Hispanic or Latino21.3% · 23
- Two or more races7.4% · 8
- Black or African American2.8% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Palega
Palega 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
#150,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
+4 bearers (+3.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 5,109 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #156,044 | 104 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #150,935 | 108 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.8%) | Up 5,109 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 Palega 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 | #156,044 | #150,935 | 3.3% |
| Count | 104 | 108 | 3.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -9.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Palega bearers went from 104 to 108 (+3.8% change). The surname moved up 5,109 positions in the national ranking, going from #156,044 to #150,935.
FAQ
Palega surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Palega?
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the surname Palega. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,764,148 residents.
How common is Palega?
Palega ranks #150,935 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 108 people with the surname Palega. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (124), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Palega.
Has Palega become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Palega went from 104 recorded bearers to 108. That is an increase of 4 (+3.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #156,044 to #150,935.
What does the Census say about the background of Palega?
Among Census respondents with the surname Palega, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 41.7%. The next largest groups are White (25.0%) and Hispanic (21.3%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Palega in the 2020 Census, accounting for 41.7% (45 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Palega appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (41.7%), White (25.0%), Hispanic (21.3%). 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 Palega (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 Palega mean?
A surname believed to be of Greek origin, possibly referring to a place name. 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 Palega (0.04 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 surname Palega?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.