2000
#4,654
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,963
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.58
Uncommon Last name
Palomino
A descriptive surname derived from the Spanish word for a cream-colored horse with a pale mane and tail.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 10,636 Americans carry the last name Palomino. That puts it at #3,725 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.10 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 32,226 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Palomino 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
11K
1 in 32,226
Census rank
#3,725
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
9.3K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 9,275 bearers of the surname Palomino in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.10 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3725th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Palomino, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 91.6%. The next largest groups are White (6.1%) and Black (1.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Palomino
The surname Palomino is of Spanish origin, and it can be traced back to the 13th century in the regions of Castile and Andalusia. The name is derived from the Spanish word "paloma," meaning pigeon or dove, and it was likely originally a nickname given to someone who had a particular affinity for these birds or worked with them in some capacity.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Palomino can be found in the Repartimiento de Sevilla, a 13th-century document that records the distribution of land and property in Seville after the Christian conquest of the city in 1248. In this document, several individuals with the surname Palomino are listed as receiving land grants in the area.
During the Middle Ages, the Palomino family was particularly prominent in the city of Córdoba, where they held positions of importance in the local government and the church. One notable figure from this era was Juan Palomino, a 15th-century priest and scholar who wrote extensively on theology and philosophy.
In the 16th century, the Palomino name appeared in various records from the Spanish colonial era, as many individuals with this surname participated in the exploration and settlement of the Americas. One such individual was Diego Palomino, a conquistador who accompanied Hernán Cortés on his expedition to Mexico in the 1520s.
As the Spanish empire expanded, the Palomino name spread to other regions, including the Philippines, where there was a significant Spanish presence. In the 17th century, a prominent figure with this surname was Antonio Palomino de Castro y Velasco, a Spanish artist and writer who is best known for his biographies of Spanish painters.
Another notable individual with the surname Palomino was José Palomino y Velasco, a Spanish military officer and colonial administrator who served as the governor of various provinces in South America during the late 18th century.
Throughout history, the Palomino name has been associated with various professions and fields, including art, literature, religion, and military service. While the surname may have originated as a nickname related to pigeons or doves, it has since become a respected and widely recognized name across the Spanish-speaking world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Palomino
Among Census respondents with the surname Palomino, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 91.6%. The next largest groups are White (6.1%) and Black (1.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Palomino 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 Palomino surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino91.6% · 8,492
- White6.1% · 569
- Black or African American1.1% · 104
- Two or more races0.4% · 41
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 36
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 33
Timeline
Historical Census data for Palomino
Palomino 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
#3,800
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,313
+2,350 bearers (+33.7%)
Per 100,000 3.16
Rank movement Up 854 places
2020
#3,725
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,275
-38 bearers (-0.4%)
Per 100,000 3.10
Rank movement Up 75 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,654 | 6,963 | 2.58 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,800 | 9,313 | 3.16 | +2,350 bearers (+33.7%) | Up 854 places |
| 2020 | #3,725 | 9,275 | 3.10 | -38 bearers (-0.4%) | Up 75 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 Palomino 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 | #3,800 | #3,725 | 2.0% |
| Count | 9,313 | 9,275 | -0.4% |
| Per 100K | 3.16 | 3.10 | -1.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Palomino bearers went from 9,313 to 9,275 (-0.4% change). The surname moved up 75 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,800 to #3,725.
FAQ
Palomino surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Palomino?
Name Census estimates that about 10,636 living Americans carry the surname Palomino. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 32,226 residents.
How common is Palomino?
Palomino ranks #3,725 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.10 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 9,275 people with the surname Palomino. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (10,636), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.1 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.10 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Palomino.
Has Palomino become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Palomino went from 9,313 recorded bearers to 9,275. That is a decrease of 38 (-0.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #3,800 to #3,725.
What does the Census say about the background of Palomino?
Among Census respondents with the surname Palomino, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 91.6%. The next largest groups are White (6.1%) and Black (1.1%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Palomino in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.6% (8,492 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Palomino appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (91.6%), White (6.1%), Black (1.1%). 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 Palomino (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 Palomino mean?
A descriptive surname derived from the Spanish word for a cream-colored horse with a pale mane and tail. 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 Palomino (3.10 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 are called Palomino?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Palomino is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.