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

Palermo, 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 Palermo surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Palermo in America

Palermo is the 4348th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Palermo surname appeared 8,165 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Palermo.

We can also compare 2010 data for Palermo 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 Palermo

The surname Palermo has its origins in Italy and is derived from the name of the city of Palermo, the capital of the island of Sicily. The name Palermo itself is derived from the Greek word "Panormus," which means "all-port" or "complete port," referring to the city's strategic location as a major maritime hub in the Mediterranean.

Palermo has a long and rich history that dates back to the Phoenician and Greek civilizations. The city was founded by the Phoenicians in the 8th century BC, and later came under Greek influence. The name Palermo first appeared in written records during this period, with variations such as "Panormus" and "Panhormus."

In the Middle Ages, Palermo was an important center of trade and culture under the rule of various dynasties, including the Arabs, Normans, and Spanish. The surname Palermo likely emerged during this time, as it was common for people to adopt surnames based on their place of origin or residence.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Palermo can be found in the Sicilian Vespers, a popular uprising against the French occupation of Sicily in 1282. Historical records mention several individuals with the surname Palermo who played significant roles in this event.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Palermo. One example is Giacomo Palermo (c. 1507-1592), an Italian painter and architect who was active during the Renaissance period. Another is Gaspare Palermo (1572-1630), an Italian mathematician and astronomer known for his contributions to the study of celestial mechanics.

In the 19th century, Antonio Palermo (1792-1871) was an Italian politician and statesman who played a crucial role in the unification of Italy. He served as the Minister of Finance in the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies and later became a senator in the newly formed Kingdom of Italy.

More recently, Francesco Palermo (1949-2020) was an Italian lawyer and academic who specialized in constitutional and minority rights law. He served as the director of the Institute for Minority Rights at the European Academy of Bozen/Bolzano in Italy.

Another notable figure is the Italian-American actor and filmmaker Giancarlo Palermo (1921-1989), known for his work in Italian cinema during the 1950s and 1960s.

These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who have carried the surname Palermo, which has its roots in the rich cultural heritage of the Italian city of the same name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Palermo

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

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

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

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