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

Pallas, 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 Pallas surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pallas in America

Pallas is the 25935th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pallas surname appeared 947 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Pallas.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pallas 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 Pallas

The surname Pallas is believed to have originated in ancient Greece, where it was derived from the Greek word "pallax," meaning a concubine or a mistress. It was likely used as a nickname or a descriptive surname for someone associated with or descended from such a relationship.

During the Byzantine era, the name Pallas became closely associated with the Pallas family, a prominent aristocratic family in Constantinople. One notable member was Petrus Pallas, a 4th-century Roman grammarian and lexicographer, who wrote a commentary on the works of Virgil.

The name Pallas also appears in some early English records, such as the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as a personal name. This suggests that the name may have been introduced to England during the Norman Conquest, possibly by individuals of Greek or Byzantine descent.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Pallas can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Shropshire from 1180, where a Robert Pallas is mentioned. In the 13th century, a William Pallas is recorded as holding lands in Leicestershire.

In the 16th century, the name Pallas gained prominence through the explorer and naturalist Peter Simon Pallas (1741-1811), a German-born scientist who conducted extensive research in Russia and made significant contributions to the fields of geography, zoology, and botany.

Another notable figure with the surname Pallas was Claude Pallas (1711-1779), a French historian and numismatist who specialized in the study of ancient coins and medals. He served as the curator of the Cabinet des Médailles at the Bibliothèque Royale in Paris.

In the realm of literature, the name Pallas is associated with the Scottish author and poet James Pallas (1677-1762), known for his satirical works and his contributions to the Union literature of the early 18th century.

The surname Pallas has also been linked to various place names, such as Pallas Green in Shropshire, England, and Pallas, a town in County Galway, Ireland. These place names may have influenced the spelling and distribution of the surname.

Throughout history, the surname Pallas has been used by individuals from diverse backgrounds, reflecting its ancient origins and its spread across different cultures and regions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pallas

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

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

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

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