2000
#148,244
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Palffy
An aristocratic Hungarian surname derived from a place name or estate.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 122 Americans carry the last name Palffy. That puts it at #152,339 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,809,462 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Palffy 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
122
1 in 2,809,462
Census rank
#152,339
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
106
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 106 bearers of the surname Palffy in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152339th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Palffy, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Palffy
The surname Palffy originated in Hungary and dates back to the 16th century. It is believed to have been derived from the Hungarian word "pálfa," which means "young palm tree" or "palm branch." The name likely referred to a person who lived near palm trees or carried a palm branch as a symbol.
The earliest known records of the Palffy name can be found in the Hungarian county of Pozsony (now Bratislava, Slovakia) in the late 1500s. The name was associated with nobility and landowners in this region. One of the earliest documented individuals with the Palffy surname was Mikuláš Palffy (1552-1600), a Hungarian nobleman and military leader who fought against the Ottoman Empire.
In the 17th century, the Palffy family gained significant influence and wealth through their military service and landholdings. János Palffy (1663-1751) was a prominent military commander who served as the Governor of Hungary and played a crucial role in the Great Turkish War. His son, Miklós Palffy (1710-1773), was also a notable figure who held the position of Lord Chief Justice of Hungary.
The Palffy name can be found in various historical records, including the Codex Diplomaticus Hungariae, which contains medieval charters and documents related to Hungarian history. The name has also been associated with several aristocratic families in Hungary and Slovakia, such as the Palffy de Erdöd and Palffy de Vázsonykö families.
One of the most renowned individuals with the Palffy surname was Count János Palffy (1804-1857), a Hungarian statesman and politician who served as the Prime Minister of Hungary from 1848 to 1849. He played a significant role in the Hungarian Revolution of 1848 and advocated for greater autonomy for Hungary within the Austrian Empire.
Another notable figure was Count Miklós Palffy (1836-1924), a Hungarian nobleman and politician who served as the Minister of Agriculture and later as the Minister of National Defense in the early 20th century. He was also a prominent landowner and patron of the arts, supporting various cultural initiatives in Hungary.
Throughout history, the Palffy surname has been associated with nobility, military service, and landholdings, particularly in the regions of present-day Hungary and Slovakia. While the name may have undergone slight variations in spelling over time, its origins can be traced back to the Hungarian language and the symbolism of the palm tree or branch.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Palffy
Among Census respondents with the surname Palffy, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Palffy 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 Palffy surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.8% · 92
- Hispanic or Latino4.7% · 5
- Two or more races4.7% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.8% · 3
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Palffy
Palffy 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
#149,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
+8 bearers (+7.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,151 places
2020
#152,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
-4 bearers (-3.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,944 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #148,244 | 102 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #149,395 | 110 | 0.04 | +8 bearers (+7.8%) | Down 1,151 places |
| 2020 | #152,339 | 106 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.6%) | Down 2,944 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 Palffy 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 | #149,395 | #152,339 | -2.0% |
| Count | 110 | 106 | -3.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -11.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Palffy bearers went from 110 to 106 (-3.6% change). The surname moved down 2,944 positions in the national ranking, going from #149,395 to #152,339.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Palffy
FAQ
Palffy surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Palffy?
Name Census estimates that about 122 living Americans carry the surname Palffy. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,809,462 residents.
How common is Palffy?
Palffy ranks #152,339 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 106 people with the surname Palffy. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (122), 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 Palffy.
Has Palffy become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Palffy went from 110 recorded bearers to 106. That is a decrease of 4 (-3.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #149,395 to #152,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Palffy?
Among Census respondents with the surname Palffy, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and Two or More Races (4.7%). 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 Palffy in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.8% (92 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Palffy appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.8%), Hispanic (4.7%), Two or More Races (4.7%). 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 Palffy (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 Palffy mean?
An aristocratic Hungarian surname derived from a place name or estate. 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 Palffy (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 Palffy?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.