2000
#13,092
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,143
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.79
Rare Last name
Palmeri
An Italian occupational surname referring to a pilgrim who carried a palm branch or a palm tree cultivator.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,582 Americans carry the last name Palmeri. That puts it at #13,032 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.75 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 132,748 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Palmeri 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
2.6K
1 in 132,748
Census rank
#13,032
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,252 bearers of the surname Palmeri in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.75 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13032nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Palmeri, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.0%) and Black (1.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Palmeri
The surname Palmeri originated in Italy during the late medieval period. It is derived from the Italian word "palmiere," meaning "palmer" or a pilgrim who had returned from the Holy Land carrying a palm branch or leaf. The name likely originated in areas with a strong Christian tradition, such as Sicily or southern Italy.
Some of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Palmeri can be found in historical documents from the 13th and 14th centuries in various regions of Italy. One notable example is the mention of a Palmeri family in the records of the city of Palermo, Sicily, in the year 1285.
The Palmeri name has a long and rich history, with several notable individuals bearing this surname throughout the centuries. One of the earliest recorded figures was Giacomo Palmeri, a Sicilian poet and scholar who lived in the 15th century and wrote extensively on subjects such as philosophy and theology.
In the 16th century, the Palmeri family produced several prominent members, including Giovanni Battista Palmeri, a renowned architect who designed several churches and palaces in Naples and its surrounding areas. His brother, Vincenzo Palmeri, was a celebrated painter and fresco artist, whose works can still be found adorning the walls of various churches and noble residences in southern Italy.
The 17th century saw the rise of another notable figure, Antonio Palmeri, a Sicilian lawyer and political philosopher who played a crucial role in shaping the legal and political landscape of the island during his time. His writings on natural law and the rights of citizens were highly influential and helped shape the intellectual discourse of the era.
During the 19th century, the Palmeri name was carried by several notable figures, including Giovanni Palmeri, a Sicilian patriot and revolutionary who fought against the Bourbon monarchy and played a pivotal role in the unification of Italy under the House of Savoy.
Throughout history, the Palmeri surname has been associated with various places and regions within Italy, particularly in Sicily and southern Italy, where it has its deepest roots. The name has also been subject to various spelling variations over time, such as Palmieri, Palmerio, and Palmiero, reflecting the linguistic diversity and regional dialects of the Italian peninsula.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Palmeri
Among Census respondents with the surname Palmeri, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.0%) and Black (1.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Palmeri 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 Palmeri surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.2% · 2,009
- Hispanic or Latino6.0% · 135
- Black or African American1.6% · 36
- Two or more races1.5% · 34
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.5% · 33
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Palmeri
Palmeri 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
#12,724
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,426
+283 bearers (+13.2%)
Per 100,000 0.82
Rank movement Up 368 places
2020
#13,032
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,252
-174 bearers (-7.2%)
Per 100,000 0.75
Rank movement Down 308 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,092 | 2,143 | 0.79 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,724 | 2,426 | 0.82 | +283 bearers (+13.2%) | Up 368 places |
| 2020 | #13,032 | 2,252 | 0.75 | -174 bearers (-7.2%) | Down 308 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 Palmeri 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 | #12,724 | #13,032 | -2.4% |
| Count | 2,426 | 2,252 | -7.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.82 | 0.75 | -8.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Palmeri bearers went from 2,426 to 2,252 (-7.2% change). The surname moved down 308 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,724 to #13,032.
FAQ
Palmeri surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Palmeri?
Name Census estimates that about 2,582 living Americans carry the surname Palmeri. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 132,748 residents.
How common is Palmeri?
Palmeri ranks #13,032 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.75 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,252 people with the surname Palmeri. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,582), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.75 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.75 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Palmeri.
Has Palmeri become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Palmeri went from 2,426 recorded bearers to 2,252. That is a decrease of 174 (-7.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,724 to #13,032.
What does the Census say about the background of Palmeri?
Among Census respondents with the surname Palmeri, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.0%) and Black (1.6%). 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 Palmeri in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.2% (2,009 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Palmeri appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.2%), Hispanic (6.0%), Black (1.6%). 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 Palmeri (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 Palmeri mean?
An Italian occupational surname referring to a pilgrim who carried a palm branch or a palm tree cultivator. 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 Palmeri (0.75 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 Americans have the surname Palmeri?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.