2000
#130,443
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Paleologos
A Greek surname derived from the Byzantine emperor's family name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Paleologos. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Paleologos 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
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Paleologos in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Paleologos, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Paleologos
The surname Paleologos originated in the Byzantine Empire, specifically in the region of Anatolia (modern-day Turkey) during the 11th century. It is derived from the Greek words "palaios" meaning "old" and "logos" meaning "word" or "reason," suggesting a connection to ancient wisdom or tradition.
The Paleologos family was a prominent Byzantine noble family that rose to prominence during the 13th century. They played a significant role in the history of the Byzantine Empire, and several members of the family ascended to the imperial throne, ruling from 1259 to 1453, the year Constantinople fell to the Ottoman Turks.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Paleologos can be found in the historical chronicles of the Byzantine Empire, where it is mentioned in association with the reign of Michael VIII Paleologos (1223-1282), who became the co-emperor in 1259 and later the sole ruler of the Byzantine Empire. He was known for his efforts to reunite the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches.
Another notable figure with the surname Paleologos was John VIII Paleologos (1392-1448), who was the last emperor of the Byzantine Empire. He sought military aid from Western Europe in an attempt to defend Constantinople against the Ottoman Turks, but his efforts were ultimately unsuccessful, leading to the fall of the Byzantine Empire in 1453.
Other prominent individuals with the surname Paleologos include:
1. Andronikos II Paleologos (1259-1332), the Byzantine emperor from 1282 to 1328.
2. Manuel II Paleologos (1350-1425), the Byzantine emperor from 1391 to 1425, known for his efforts to maintain the dwindling empire's territories.
3. Thomas Paleologos (1409-1465), the last surviving heir to the Byzantine imperial family after the fall of Constantinople.
4. Zoe Paleologina (1455-1503), the daughter of Thomas Paleologos, who played a significant role in the cultural exchange between the Byzantine and Venetian societies.
5. Andrew Paleologos (1453-1502), a claimant to the Byzantine throne who sought support from various European powers to reclaim Constantinople from the Ottoman Turks.
The surname Paleologos has also been associated with various place names and older spellings, such as Palaiologos, Palaeologus, and Palaiologan, reflecting the linguistic and cultural influences of the regions where the name was prevalent.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Paleologos
Among Census respondents with the surname Paleologos, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Paleologos 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 Paleologos surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.4% · 104
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 4
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Paleologos
Paleologos 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
#138,304
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
+1 bearers (+0.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,861 places
2020
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
-12 bearers (-9.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 11,901 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #130,443 | 120 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #138,304 | 121 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+0.8%) | Down 7,861 places |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | -12 bearers (-9.9%) | Down 11,901 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 Paleologos 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 | #138,304 | #150,205 | -8.6% |
| Count | 121 | 109 | -9.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Paleologos bearers went from 121 to 109 (-9.9% change). The surname moved down 11,901 positions in the national ranking, going from #138,304 to #150,205.
FAQ
Paleologos surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Paleologos?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Paleologos. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Paleologos?
Paleologos ranks #150,205 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 109 people with the surname Paleologos. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), 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 Paleologos.
Has Paleologos become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Paleologos went from 121 recorded bearers to 109. That is a decrease of 12 (-9.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #138,304 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Paleologos?
Among Census respondents with the surname Paleologos, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (0.9%). 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 Paleologos in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.4% (104 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Paleologos appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.4%), Hispanic (3.7%), Two or More Races (0.9%). 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 Paleologos (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 Paleologos mean?
A Greek surname derived from the Byzantine emperor's family 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 Paleologos (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 common is the surname Paleologos?
Find out how common the surname Paleologos is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.