2000
#23,283
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,021
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.38
Rare Last name
Palin
A Greek surname referring to a return, recurrence, or repetition.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,205 Americans carry the last name Palin. That puts it at #24,761 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.35 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 284,443 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Palin 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Palin with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
1.2K
1 in 284,443
Census rank
#24,761
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,051 bearers of the surname Palin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.35 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 24761st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Palin, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.2%) and Black (9.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Palin
The surname Palin is of English origin, with roots tracing back to the medieval era. It is believed to have originated from the Old English word "pæling," which referred to a fence or palisade made of wooden stakes driven into the ground. This word later evolved into "paleing" or "paling," giving rise to the surname.
Historically, surnames derived from occupations were common, and Palin likely referred to someone who built or maintained palisades or fences. The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in various historical documents from the 13th and 14th centuries, such as the Hundred Rolls of Huntingdonshire (1273) and the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire (1327).
One notable early bearer of the surname was John Palin, a prominent landowner in Oxfordshire, England, who was mentioned in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1334. Another early record is of Richard Palin, listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Warwickshire in 1380.
Over the centuries, the surname has undergone various spellings, including Palen, Pallyn, and Paulin, reflecting regional variations and the evolution of the English language.
In the 16th century, the name appeared in historical records associated with the village of Palin in Shropshire, suggesting a connection between the surname and this place name.
One of the most famous bearers of the Palin surname was William Palin, a renowned English architect and stonemason born in 1717. He was responsible for the design and construction of several notable buildings, including the Radcliffe Observatory in Oxford.
Another notable figure was Sir Joseph Palin, a British politician and Member of Parliament for Bury St. Edmunds from 1807 to 1830. He played a significant role in the debates surrounding the Reform Act of 1832.
In the literary world, Henry Palin (1825-1895) was a respected English poet and writer, known for his collections of poems and works of fiction.
The Palin surname has also been associated with the family of Michael Palin, the renowned British actor, writer, and member of the iconic Monty Python comedy troupe, born in 1943.
Throughout history, the Palin surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, from landowners and architects to politicians and artists, contributing to the rich tapestry of English heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Palin
Among Census respondents with the surname Palin, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.2%) and Black (9.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Palin 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 Palin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White75.1% · 789
- Hispanic or Latino10.2% · 107
- Black or African American9.9% · 104
- Two or more races3.2% · 34
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 11
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Palin
Palin 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
#27,002
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 898
-123 bearers (-12.0%)
Per 100,000 0.30
Rank movement Down 3,719 places
2020
#24,761
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,051
+153 bearers (+17.0%)
Per 100,000 0.35
Rank movement Up 2,241 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #23,283 | 1,021 | 0.38 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #27,002 | 898 | 0.30 | -123 bearers (-12.0%) | Down 3,719 places |
| 2020 | #24,761 | 1,051 | 0.35 | +153 bearers (+17.0%) | Up 2,241 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 Palin 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 | #27,002 | #24,761 | 8.3% |
| Count | 898 | 1,051 | 17.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.30 | 0.35 | 17.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Palin bearers went from 898 to 1,051 (+17.0% change). The surname moved up 2,241 positions in the national ranking, going from #27,002 to #24,761.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Palin
FAQ
Palin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Palin?
Name Census estimates that about 1,205 living Americans carry the surname Palin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 284,443 residents.
How common is Palin?
Palin ranks #24,761 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.35 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 1,051 people with the surname Palin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,205), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.35 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.35 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 Palin.
Has Palin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Palin went from 898 recorded bearers to 1,051. That is an increase of 153 (+17.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #27,002 to #24,761.
What does the Census say about the background of Palin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Palin, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.2%) and Black (9.9%). 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 Palin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 75.1% (789 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Palin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (75.1%), Hispanic (10.2%), Black (9.9%). 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 Palin (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 Palin mean?
A Greek surname referring to a return, recurrence, or repetition. 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 Palin (0.35 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 Palin?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.