2000
#4,754
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,820
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.53
Rare Last name
Palm
An English topographic surname for someone who lived near a stand of palm trees.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,846 Americans carry the last name Palm. That puts it at #4,975 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.29 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 43,685 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Palm 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 Palm with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
7.8K
1 in 43,685
Census rank
#4,975
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,842 bearers of the surname Palm in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.29 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4975th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Palm, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.9%. The next largest groups are Black (8.8%) and Hispanic (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Palm
The surname Palm is believed to have originated in England, likely during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "palm," which referred to the palm tree or a branch of palm leaves. This name was likely given as a descriptive surname to someone who lived near a location where palm trees grew or to someone who worked with palm leaves or fronds.
The earliest known records of the Palm surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of landholdings and population across England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears spelled as "Palme" in this historical document.
During the 13th century, the Palm surname was also found in various records from counties such as Wiltshire and Gloucestershire. It is possible that the name may have originated from specific place names like Palmbere in Dorset or Palmerhayes in Devon, which incorporated the word "palm."
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the Palm surname was Robert Palm, who was born in Gloucestershire in the late 13th century. Another notable bearer of this name was Sir Henry Palm, a knight who fought in the Wars of the Roses during the 15th century.
In the 16th century, the spelling of the surname evolved, and variations such as Palme and Paulme were documented. During this period, John Palme, a merchant from Bristol, became a prominent figure in the city's trade guilds.
The 17th century saw the birth of William Palm, a renowned painter and engraver from London, who was known for his landscapes and portraits. He was active during the reign of King Charles II.
In the 18th century, the Palm surname gained recognition through the work of Jacob Palm, a Dutch botanist and explorer who studied the flora of South Africa and the Cape region. He was born in 1763 and made significant contributions to the field of plant taxonomy.
Throughout history, the Palm surname has been associated with various occupations, including horticulture, botany, and trades involving palm leaves or fronds. It has also been found in various regions of England, particularly in the southwest and southeast counties.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Palm
Among Census respondents with the surname Palm, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.9%. The next largest groups are Black (8.8%) and Hispanic (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Palm 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 Palm surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White81.9% · 5,606
- Black or African American8.8% · 605
- Hispanic or Latino4.7% · 322
- Two or more races3.4% · 236
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 53
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 20
Timeline
Historical Census data for Palm
Palm 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
#4,986
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,041
+221 bearers (+3.2%)
Per 100,000 2.39
Rank movement Down 232 places
2020
#4,975
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,842
-199 bearers (-2.8%)
Per 100,000 2.29
Rank movement Up 11 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,754 | 6,820 | 2.53 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,986 | 7,041 | 2.39 | +221 bearers (+3.2%) | Down 232 places |
| 2020 | #4,975 | 6,842 | 2.29 | -199 bearers (-2.8%) | Up 11 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 Palm 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 | #4,986 | #4,975 | 0.2% |
| Count | 7,041 | 6,842 | -2.8% |
| Per 100K | 2.39 | 2.29 | -4.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Palm bearers went from 7,041 to 6,842 (-2.8% change). The surname moved up 11 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,986 to #4,975.
FAQ
Palm surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Palm?
Name Census estimates that about 7,846 living Americans carry the surname Palm. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 43,685 residents.
How common is Palm?
Palm ranks #4,975 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.29 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,842 people with the surname Palm. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,846), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.29 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.29 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Palm.
Has Palm become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Palm went from 7,041 recorded bearers to 6,842. That is a decrease of 199 (-2.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #4,986 to #4,975.
What does the Census say about the background of Palm?
Among Census respondents with the surname Palm, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.9%. The next largest groups are Black (8.8%) and Hispanic (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 Palm in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.9% (5,606 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Palm appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (81.9%), Black (8.8%), Hispanic (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 Palm (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 Palm mean?
An English topographic surname for someone who lived near a stand of palm trees. 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 Palm (2.29 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 Palm?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.