2000
#133,114
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Pallette
A surname derived from the French word "palette" referring to a palette or flat wooden board used by artists.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 118 Americans carry the last name Pallette. That puts it at #154,182 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,904,698 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pallette 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
118
1 in 2,904,698
Census rank
#154,182
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
103
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 103 bearers of the surname Pallette in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154182nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pallette, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pallette
The surname Pallette originated in France during the medieval era. It is believed to have derived from the Old French word "palette," which referred to a small shovel or blade used for handling materials like clay or mortar. This suggests that the name may have been an occupational one, given to individuals who worked as bricklayers, potters, or in other trades involving the use of such tools.
In its earliest forms, the name was often spelled as "Pallete" or "Palete" in various regions of France, reflecting regional variations in pronunciation and spelling conventions of the time. Some of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in historical documents dating back to the 13th and 14th centuries, such as tax rolls, census records, and property deeds.
One notable historical figure bearing the surname Pallette was Jean Pallette, a French sculptor who lived in the late 15th and early 16th centuries. He was renowned for his intricate carvings in wood and stone, and his works adorned several churches and cathedrals in Paris and the surrounding areas.
Another prominent individual was Pierre Pallette, a French military officer who served during the Hundred Years' War between England and France in the mid-15th century. He was known for his bravery in battle and was awarded lands and titles for his service to the French crown.
In the 17th century, a family by the name of Pallette settled in the French colony of Acadia (now part of Canada). One of their descendants, Marie-Madeleine Pallette, born in 1685, married into the influential LeBlanc family and played a significant role in the colonization and development of the region.
The surname Pallette also found its way to England, where it was sometimes anglicized to "Pallet" or "Pallett." One notable English bearer of the name was Sir John Pallett, a wealthy merchant and landowner who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He was knighted by King James I in recognition of his business acumen and contributions to the local community.
In the 19th century, a French-American artist named Jacques-Henri Pallette gained recognition for his landscape paintings of the American West. Born in Paris in 1812, he immigrated to the United States and traveled extensively, capturing the beauty of the western territories on canvas.
While the surname Pallette may not be as common as some others, it has a rich history that spans several centuries and multiple countries, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and occupations of those who have carried this name throughout the ages.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pallette
Among Census respondents with the surname Pallette, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Pallette 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 Pallette surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.5% · 87
- Hispanic or Latino12.6% · 13
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 2
- Two or more races1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pallette
Pallette 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
#159,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
-16 bearers (-13.7%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 26,598 places
2020
#154,182
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
+2 bearers (+2.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 5,530 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 | #159,712 | 101 | 0.03 | -16 bearers (-13.7%) | Down 26,598 places |
| 2020 | #154,182 | 103 | 0.03 | +2 bearers (+2.0%) | Up 5,530 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 Pallette 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 | #159,712 | #154,182 | 3.5% |
| Count | 101 | 103 | 2.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 14.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pallette bearers went from 101 to 103 (+2.0% change). The surname moved up 5,530 positions in the national ranking, going from #159,712 to #154,182.
FAQ
Pallette surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pallette?
Name Census estimates that about 118 living Americans carry the surname Pallette. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,904,698 residents.
How common is Pallette?
Pallette ranks #154,182 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 103 people with the surname Pallette. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (118), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Pallette.
Has Pallette become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pallette went from 101 recorded bearers to 103. That is an increase of 2 (+2.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #159,712 to #154,182.
What does the Census say about the background of Pallette?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pallette, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%). 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 Pallette in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.5% (87 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pallette appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.5%), Hispanic (12.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%). 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 Pallette (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 Pallette mean?
A surname derived from the French word "palette" referring to a palette or flat wooden board used by artists. 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 Pallette (0.03 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 Pallette?
See how many people have the surname Pallette on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.