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

Palo, 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 Palo surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Palo in America

Palo is the 19774th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Palo surname appeared 1,361 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Palo.

We can also compare 2010 data for Palo 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 Palo

The surname Palo originates from Italy and can be traced back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Italian word "palo," meaning "pole" or "stake," which may have referred to a person who lived near a boundary marker or worked as a fence maker or carpenter.

The earliest recorded instances of the Palo surname appear in historical documents from the 13th century, particularly in regions like Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna. It is believed that the name may have originated as a nickname or occupational descriptor before becoming a hereditary surname.

In the 14th century, a notable figure named Giovanni Palo was mentioned in records from the city of Florence. He was a successful merchant and influential member of the local guild system.

During the Renaissance period, the Palo family gained prominence in the region of Lombardy. Marco Palo, born in 1472, was a renowned architect who contributed to the design of several churches and public buildings in Milan.

In the 16th century, the name appeared in the records of the Republic of Venice, where a notable figure named Antonio Palo served as a diplomat and ambassador representing Venetian interests abroad.

The Palo surname also has connections to various place names across Italy, including the town of Palo del Colle in the Apulia region and the village of Palo Laziale near Rome.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have carried the Palo surname, including:

• Girolamo Palo (1604-1678), an Italian mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the development of calculus.
• Vincenzo Palo (1728-1799), an Italian composer and violinist active during the Classical period.
• Giuseppe Palo (1810-1876), an Italian painter and illustrator known for his portraits and historical scenes.
• Emilio Palo (1885-1962), an Italian sculptor and educator who taught at the Academy of Fine Arts in Rome.
• Alessandra Palo (born 1962), a contemporary Italian author and poet renowned for her literary works exploring themes of identity and cultural heritage.

While the Palo surname has its roots in Italy, it has since spread to various parts of the world, with descendants carrying on the legacy of this historic name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Palo

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

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

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

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