2000
#121,058
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 132
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Palucci
A surname derived from the Italian word "palude" meaning "marsh" or "swamp".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Palucci. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Palucci 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
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Palucci in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Palucci, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.4%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (3.5%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Palucci
The surname Palucci has its origins in Italy, specifically in the central region of Lazio. It is derived from the Latin word "palus," meaning "marsh" or "swamp." This suggests that the name likely originated from people who lived near marshy or wetland areas.
Historically, the Palucci name can be traced back to the 13th century in Italy. One of the earliest recorded instances is found in the Codice Diplomatico Veronese, a collection of documents from the city of Verona, which mentions a certain "Petrus Palutius" in the year 1261.
In the 14th century, the Palucci family gained prominence in the city of Norcia, located in the province of Perugia, Umbria. Records from this period indicate that the Palucci were a noble family and held significant influence in the region.
One notable figure from this era was Nicola Palucci, born in 1335, who served as the Archbishop of Nicosia (modern-day Izmir, Turkey) from 1385 to 1397. His appointment to this prestigious position highlights the family's standing at the time.
Another prominent individual was Gabriele Palucci, born in 1470 in Perugia, who became a renowned humanist scholar and poet during the Italian Renaissance. His works were widely celebrated and contributed to the cultural landscape of the period.
In the 16th century, the name Palucci appeared in the historical records of the town of Cori, located in the province of Latina, Lazio. This region is believed to be the original birthplace of the Palucci family.
One of the most famous Palucci figures from this time was Cardinal Sforza Palucci, born in 1552 in Cori. He played a significant role in the Catholic Church and served as the Secretary of State for Pope Innocent XI from 1679 to 1689.
Throughout the centuries, the Palucci name has been associated with various noble families and influential individuals across different regions of Italy, reflecting the family's widespread presence and impact.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Palucci
Among Census respondents with the surname Palucci, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.4%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (3.5%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Palucci 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 Palucci surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.4% · 101
- American Indian and Alaska Native3.5% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 3
- Two or more races2.7% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Palucci
Palucci 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
#141,140
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
-14 bearers (-10.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 20,082 places
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
-5 bearers (-4.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,081 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #121,058 | 132 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #141,140 | 118 | 0.04 | -14 bearers (-10.6%) | Down 20,082 places |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | -5 bearers (-4.2%) | Down 6,081 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 Palucci 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 | #141,140 | #147,221 | -4.3% |
| Count | 118 | 113 | -4.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Palucci bearers went from 118 to 113 (-4.2% change). The surname moved down 6,081 positions in the national ranking, going from #141,140 to #147,221.
FAQ
Palucci surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Palucci?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Palucci. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Palucci?
Palucci ranks #147,221 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 113 people with the surname Palucci. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Palucci.
Has Palucci become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Palucci went from 118 recorded bearers to 113. That is a decrease of 5 (-4.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #141,140 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Palucci?
Among Census respondents with the surname Palucci, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.4%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (3.5%) and Hispanic (2.7%). 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 Palucci in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.4% (101 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Palucci appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.4%), American Indian/Alaska Native (3.5%), Hispanic (2.7%). 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 Palucci (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 Palucci mean?
A surname derived from the Italian word "palude" meaning "marsh" or "swamp". 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 Palucci (0.04 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 have the last name Palucci?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Palucci on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.