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

Pals, 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 Pals surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pals in America

Pals is the 17717th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pals surname appeared 1,583 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Pals.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pals 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 Pals

The surname Pals is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period, sometime between the 11th and 13th centuries. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "pal," which referred to a stake or pale used in the construction of fences or fortifications.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Pals surname can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Norfolk, a 13th-century census document. The entry, dated around 1273, mentions a person named Robert de Pales, which is likely an early spelling variation of the Pals name.

In the 14th century, the Pals surname appeared in various historical records, including the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire from 1379, which listed a John Pals. This suggests that the name had spread to different regions of England by this time.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Pals surname continued to be recorded in various records, such as parish registers and wills. One notable individual from this period was William Pals, a merchant from London who was born in 1587 and died in 1652.

The Pals surname may also have connections to certain place names in England, such as the village of Pales in Shropshire or the town of Pailton in Warwickshire. These place names likely stem from the same Old English word "pal" and may have influenced the development of the surname.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals with the Pals surname, including:

1. Adrian Pals (1670-1718), a Dutch artist known for his landscapes and architectural paintings.
2. Johann Pals (1714-1805), a German composer and organist during the Baroque period.
3. Samuel Pals (1818-1892), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Barnstaple.
4. Edith Pals (1884-1968), an American author and social activist known for her work on women's rights.
5. Johannes Pals (1904-1991), a Dutch theologian and professor at the University of Amsterdam.

While the Pals surname may not be as widely distributed as some others, it has a rich history rooted in medieval England and has been carried by individuals across various fields over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pals

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

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

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

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