2010
#139,228
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Palizzi
An Italian toponymic surname referring to someone from the town of Palizzì.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 122 Americans carry the last name Palizzi. 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 Palizzi 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 Palizzi 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 Palizzi, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Palizzi
The surname Palizzi is of Italian origin, originating from the region of Calabria in southern Italy during the medieval period. It is derived from the Italian word "palazzo," meaning palace or grand residence. The name likely evolved from an occupational surname, referring to someone who worked or lived in a palace or was associated with a noble family.
In its earliest recorded instances, the surname appeared as "Palazzi" or "Palizzio" in various historical documents from the 13th and 14th centuries in Calabria. The spelling "Palizzi" emerged later and became more prevalent in the region.
The town of Palizzi, located in the province of Reggio Calabria, may have played a role in the development of the surname. It is possible that the name was initially associated with individuals who resided in or were connected to this particular town.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Palizzi was Giovanni Palizzi, a notable jurist and legal scholar who lived in the late 15th century. He authored several treatises on legal matters and was highly respected in his field.
In the 16th century, the Palizzi family gained prominence in the region, with members holding influential positions in the local government and church. One notable figure was Francesco Palizzi, a renowned architect who designed several churches and civic buildings in Calabria during the Renaissance period.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Palizzi surname spread beyond the borders of Calabria, with individuals bearing the name being found in other parts of Italy, such as Naples and Rome. One notable figure from this era was Antonio Palizzi, a celebrated painter and artist who lived in the late 17th century and was known for his religious works and portraits.
In the 19th century, the Palizzi family continued to produce notable individuals, such as Giuseppe Palizzi, a respected poet and writer who was born in Calabria in 1812 and gained recognition for his literary works that celebrated the traditions and culture of his homeland.
Another notable figure from the 19th century was Filippo Palizzi, a celebrated artist and founder of the Palizzi Institute of Fine Arts in Naples. He played a significant role in promoting and preserving the artistic heritage of southern Italy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Palizzi
Among Census respondents with the surname Palizzi, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Palizzi 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 Palizzi surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.8% · 92
- Hispanic or Latino5.7% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.7% · 5
- Two or more races2.8% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Palizzi
Palizzi appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#152,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
-14 bearers (-11.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 13,111 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #139,228 | 120 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #152,339 | 106 | 0.04 | -14 bearers (-11.7%) | Down 13,111 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 Palizzi 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 | #139,228 | #152,339 | -9.4% |
| Count | 120 | 106 | -11.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -11.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Palizzi bearers went from 120 to 106 (-11.7% change). The surname moved down 13,111 positions in the national ranking, going from #139,228 to #152,339.
FAQ
Palizzi surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Palizzi?
Name Census estimates that about 122 living Americans carry the surname Palizzi. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,809,462 residents.
How common is Palizzi?
Palizzi 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 Palizzi. 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 Palizzi.
Has Palizzi become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Palizzi went from 120 recorded bearers to 106. That is a decrease of 14 (-11.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #139,228 to #152,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Palizzi?
Among Census respondents with the surname Palizzi, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (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 Palizzi in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.8% (92 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Palizzi appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.8%), Hispanic (5.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (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 Palizzi (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 Palizzi mean?
An Italian toponymic surname referring to someone from the town of Palizzì. 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 Palizzi (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 last name Palizzi?
If you just want to know how many Americans have the surname Palizzi, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.