2000
#133,114
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Palisano
From a hamlet in southern Italy, possibly derived from Latin "palus" meaning marsh.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Palisano. 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 Palisano 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 Palisano 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 Palisano, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Palisano
The surname Palisano is of Italian origin, specifically from the regions of Campania and Calabria in southern Italy. It is believed to have derived from the Italian word "palizzata," which means "palisade" or a defensive fence made of wooden stakes. This suggests that the name may have originated from a place or location fortified with palisades, perhaps a castle or a fortress.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Palisano can be found in the 16th century Catasto Onciario, a tax record from the Kingdom of Naples, which encompassed parts of present-day Campania and Calabria. The name appears in various spellings, such as Palisani, Palisano, and Palisani, indicating its evolution over time.
In the 17th century, a notable figure bearing the surname Palisano was Girolamo Palisano (1599-1677), a Baroque painter from Naples known for his religious works and portraits. His works can be found in churches and museums throughout Italy, particularly in Naples and the surrounding region.
During the 18th century, the name Palisano was associated with several prominent families in the Calabrian town of Cosenza. One such family, the Palisanos of Cosenza, produced several notable individuals, including Gregorio Palisano (1712-1789), a respected jurist and legal scholar who served as a judge in the city's courts.
In the 19th century, the Palisano surname gained further recognition with the birth of Giuseppe Palisano (1821-1892), a renowned Italian botanist and horticulturist from Naples. He made significant contributions to the study and cultivation of citrus fruits, and his work was widely respected throughout Europe.
Another notable figure from this period was Vincenzo Palisano (1836-1911), a Neapolitan author and journalist who wrote extensively on the history and culture of Naples and the surrounding Campania region. His works, including "Napoli Nobilissima" and "Saggio Storico sulla Rivoluzione di Napoli del 1647," are considered valuable resources for understanding the city's past.
As the centuries progressed, the Palisano surname continued to be present in various regions of Italy, with individuals bearing the name making contributions in fields such as law, academia, and the arts. While the name may have originated from a specific location or fortification, it has since dispersed across the country, carrying with it a rich history and cultural significance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Palisano
Among Census respondents with the surname Palisano, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Palisano 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 Palisano surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White98.2% · 107
- Hispanic or Latino1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Palisano
Palisano 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
#140,157
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
+2 bearers (+1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,043 places
2020
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
-10 bearers (-8.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,048 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #133,114 | 117 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #140,157 | 119 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.7%) | Down 7,043 places |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | -10 bearers (-8.4%) | Down 10,048 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 Palisano 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 | #140,157 | #150,205 | -7.2% |
| Count | 119 | 109 | -8.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Palisano bearers went from 119 to 109 (-8.4% change). The surname moved down 10,048 positions in the national ranking, going from #140,157 to #150,205.
FAQ
Palisano surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Palisano?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Palisano. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Palisano?
Palisano 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 Palisano. 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 Palisano.
Has Palisano become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Palisano went from 119 recorded bearers to 109. That is a decrease of 10 (-8.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #140,157 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Palisano?
Among Census respondents with the surname Palisano, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.8%). 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 Palisano in the 2020 Census, accounting for 98.2% (107 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Palisano appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (98.2%), Hispanic (1.8%). 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 Palisano (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 Palisano mean?
From a hamlet in southern Italy, possibly derived from Latin "palus" meaning marsh. 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 Palisano (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 are called Palisano?
You can see how many people have the last name Palisano on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.