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

Palm, 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 Palm surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Palm in America

Palm is the 4986th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Palm surname appeared 7,041 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Palm.

We can also compare 2010 data for Palm 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 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 The name appears spelled as "Palme" in this historical document.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.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Palm

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

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

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

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