2000
#74,398
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 242
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.09
Very Rare Last name
Palminteri
An Italian occupational surname meaning "palm tree planter or cultivator."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 263 Americans carry the last name Palminteri. That puts it at #87,312 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.08 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,303,248 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Palminteri 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
263
1 in 1,303,248
Census rank
#87,312
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
229
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 229 bearers of the surname Palminteri in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.08 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 87312th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Palminteri, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Palminteri
The surname Palminteri originates from Italy and traces its roots back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Italian word 'palmitero,' which means 'palm tree grower' or 'palm tree farmer.' This suggests that the earliest bearers of this surname were likely involved in cultivating palm trees or worked with palm-related products.
The name is thought to have originated in the southern regions of Italy, particularly in areas like Campania, Calabria, and Sicily, where the Mediterranean climate was conducive to growing palm trees. Some of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in historical documents from these regions, such as land records, church registers, and other archival materials.
One of the earliest known bearers of the surname Palminteri was Giacomo Palminteri, a merchant and landowner from the town of Salerno in Campania, who lived in the late 13th century. Another notable figure from history was Giovanni Palminteri, a renowned painter and architect from Sicily, who lived in the 15th century and contributed to the design of several churches and palaces in Palermo.
In the 16th century, the name appears in records from the town of Bari in the Puglia region, where a family of Palminteri was involved in the production of olive oil and wine. One member of this family, Giuseppe Palminteri, was a respected scholar and writer who published works on agriculture and viticulture.
As the surname spread across Italy and beyond, different variations and spellings emerged, such as Palmintieri, Palmentieri, and Palmitieri. Some of these variations were influenced by regional dialects or derived from place names associated with the family's origins.
Other notable individuals bearing the Palminteri surname include Antonio Palminteri (1734-1801), a Italian composer and violinist who worked in the court of Naples, and Giuseppe Palminteri (1781-1853), an Italian politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Neapolitan parliament.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Palminteri
Among Census respondents with the surname Palminteri, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Palminteri 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 Palminteri surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.6% · 212
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 9
- Two or more races2.2% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 2
- Black or African American0.4% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Palminteri
Palminteri 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
#74,608
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 259
+17 bearers (+7.0%)
Per 100,000 0.09
Rank movement Down 210 places
2020
#87,312
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 229
-30 bearers (-11.6%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Down 12,704 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #74,398 | 242 | 0.09 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #74,608 | 259 | 0.09 | +17 bearers (+7.0%) | Down 210 places |
| 2020 | #87,312 | 229 | 0.08 | -30 bearers (-11.6%) | Down 12,704 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 Palminteri 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 | #74,608 | #87,312 | -17.0% |
| Count | 259 | 229 | -11.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.09 | 0.08 | -14.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Palminteri bearers went from 259 to 229 (-11.6% change). The surname moved down 12,704 positions in the national ranking, going from #74,608 to #87,312.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Palminteri
FAQ
Palminteri surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Palminteri?
Name Census estimates that about 263 living Americans carry the surname Palminteri. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,303,248 residents.
How common is Palminteri?
Palminteri ranks #87,312 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.08 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 229 people with the surname Palminteri. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (263), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.08 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.08 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 Palminteri.
Has Palminteri become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Palminteri went from 259 recorded bearers to 229. That is a decrease of 30 (-11.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #74,608 to #87,312.
What does the Census say about the background of Palminteri?
Among Census respondents with the surname Palminteri, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (2.2%). 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 Palminteri in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.6% (212 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Palminteri appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.6%), Hispanic (3.9%), Two or More Races (2.2%). 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 Palminteri (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 Palminteri mean?
An Italian occupational surname meaning "palm tree planter or 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 Palminteri (0.08 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 common is the surname Palminteri?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Palminteri, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.