2000
#127,186
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 124
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Palmatary
A surname referring to a person who made or sold palm branches or leaves.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 114 Americans carry the last name Palmatary. That puts it at #156,005 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,006,617 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Palmatary 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
114
1 in 3,006,617
Census rank
#156,005
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
99
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 99 bearers of the surname Palmatary in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 156005th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Palmatary, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
Origin
Meaning and origin of Palmatary
The surname Palmatary has its origins in England, dating back to the late 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Anglo-Norman French word "palme," meaning "palm tree," and the Latin word "arius," which denotes belonging or occupation. This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone who worked with palm trees or made products from their leaves.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Palmatary name can be found in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, England, where a James Palmatary was listed as a resident in 1587. Another early reference is found in the records of the Merchant Taylors' Company in London, where a William Palmatary is mentioned as a member in 1612.
In the 17th century, the Palmatary family seemed to have established roots in the county of Gloucestershire, particularly in the town of Cirencester. Records from this period show variations in the spelling of the name, such as Palmatory, Palmitarie, and Palmatorie. One notable individual from this era was John Palmatary, a wealthy landowner and merchant who lived in Cirencester from 1625 to 1692.
The Palmatary name also has ties to the United States, with several individuals bearing this surname arriving in the country during the colonial era. One of the earliest recorded instances is that of Thomas Palmatary, who settled in Virginia in 1635. Another notable figure was Samuel Palmatary, a soldier who fought in the American Revolutionary War and was born in Massachusetts in 1756.
In the 19th century, the Palmatary family seemed to have established a presence in the northeastern region of the United States. One notable individual from this period was Benjamin Palmatary, a prominent businessman and philanthropist from New York City, who lived from 1801 to 1879. Another notable figure was Sarah Palmatary, an educator and women's rights activist from Connecticut, who was born in 1825 and played a significant role in the early suffrage movement.
While the Palmatary surname is not among the most common in the English-speaking world, it has a rich history spanning several centuries and various regions. From its humble beginnings in England to its presence in the United States, the name has been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions, contributing to the tapestry of human history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Palmatary
Among Census respondents with the surname Palmatary, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
The bar chart below shows how Palmatary 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 Palmatary surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White100.0% · 99
Timeline
Historical Census data for Palmatary
Palmatary 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
#149,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
-14 bearers (-11.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 22,209 places
2020
#156,005
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 99
-11 bearers (-10.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 6,610 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #127,186 | 124 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #149,395 | 110 | 0.04 | -14 bearers (-11.3%) | Down 22,209 places |
| 2020 | #156,005 | 99 | 0.03 | -11 bearers (-10.0%) | Down 6,610 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 Palmatary 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 | #149,395 | #156,005 | -4.4% |
| Count | 110 | 99 | -10.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -17.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Palmatary bearers went from 110 to 99 (-10.0% change). The surname moved down 6,610 positions in the national ranking, going from #149,395 to #156,005.
FAQ
Palmatary surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Palmatary?
Name Census estimates that about 114 living Americans carry the surname Palmatary. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,006,617 residents.
How common is Palmatary?
Palmatary ranks #156,005 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 99 people with the surname Palmatary. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (114), 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 Palmatary.
Has Palmatary become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Palmatary went from 110 recorded bearers to 99. That is a decrease of 11 (-10.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #149,395 to #156,005.
What does the Census say about the background of Palmatary?
Among Census respondents with the surname Palmatary, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%. 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 Palmatary in the 2020 Census, accounting for 100.0% (99 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Palmatary appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (100.0%). 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 Palmatary (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 Palmatary mean?
A surname referring to a person who made or sold palm branches or leaves. 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 Palmatary (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 Palmatary?
Find out how many Americans have the surname Palmatary on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.