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

Palen, 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 Palen surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Palen in America

Palen is the 16349th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Palen surname appeared 1,762 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Palen.

We can also compare 2010 data for Palen 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 Palen

The surname Palen is of Dutch origin, and can be traced back to the early 17th century in the Netherlands. It is believed to be derived from the Dutch word "paal," which means "pole" or "stake," suggesting that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived near a boundary marker or worked as a surveyor.

In the early 1600s, the name Palen appeared in various records in the provinces of Holland and Utrecht, particularly in the towns of Amsterdam and Rotterdam. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the baptismal records of the Oude Kerk (Old Church) in Amsterdam, where a child named Pieter Palen was baptized in 1612.

The Palen name can also be found in the passenger lists of ships that sailed from the Netherlands to the New World in the 17th century. For example, a man named Cornelis Palen is recorded as having arrived in New Amsterdam (present-day New York) in 1658.

One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname Palen was Dirck Palen, a Dutch painter who lived in Amsterdam in the late 17th century. His works, primarily depicting scenes of everyday life, can be found in various museums across the Netherlands.

Another prominent figure bearing the Palen surname was Hendrik Palen (1707-1781), a Dutch merchant and politician who served as the mayor of Amsterdam from 1760 to 1767. He played a significant role in the city's affairs during a tumultuous period of political and economic upheaval.

In the 18th century, the Palen name also appeared in various German-speaking regions, particularly in areas that were once part of the Holy Roman Empire. One notable individual was Johann Friedrich Palen (1772-1838), a German jurist and author who wrote extensively on legal and philosophical topics.

As the name spread across Europe, it took on various spellings, such as Pahlen, Palen, and Palen. In the 19th century, a Russian noble family with the name Pahlen gained prominence, with members serving in high-ranking positions in the Imperial Russian government and military.

Throughout history, the Palen surname has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including artists, merchants, politicians, and scholars. While the name may have originated from humble beginnings, it has left its mark on the cultural and historical fabric of several nations.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Palen

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

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 Palen 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 Palen 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 Palen was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!