2000
#138,741
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Parlo
From the French word "parler", meaning to speak.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 115 Americans carry the last name Parlo. That puts it at #155,682 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,980,473 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Parlo 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
115
1 in 2,980,473
Census rank
#155,682
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
100
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 100 bearers of the surname Parlo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155682nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Parlo, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) and Black (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Parlo
The surname Parlo is believed to have originated in Italy during the medieval period. Its origins can be traced back to the Latin word "parlare," which means "to speak" or "to talk." This suggests that the name may have been initially assigned as a descriptive surname to someone who was particularly talkative or eloquent.
In the early 13th century, records show the name Parlo appearing in various regions of northern Italy, particularly in the cities of Milan, Verona, and Padua. One of the earliest known instances of the name can be found in a manuscript dated 1225, which mentions a merchant named Giacomo Parlo from Milan.
During the Renaissance period, the Parlo family gained some prominence in the city of Verona. A notable figure was Gian Paolo Parlo, a renowned scholar and poet who lived from 1472 to 1542. His works, which included poetry and philosophical texts, were widely celebrated during his lifetime.
In the 16th century, the Parlo name appeared in several historical records in the region of Tuscany. One notable figure was Andrea Parlo, a successful merchant and banker from Florence, who lived from 1520 to 1587. His business dealings and financial transactions were recorded in various ledgers and documents of the time.
As the Parlo family spread across Italy, variations in the spelling of the name emerged, such as Parli, Parloi, and Parlotti. These different spellings can be found in various historical records, including church registers and legal documents.
One of the earliest known instances of the Parlo name outside of Italy dates back to the late 16th century, when a man named Luca Parlo, a skilled glassblower from Venice, settled in the city of Antwerp in modern-day Belgium. His descendants continued the family's glassmaking tradition for several generations.
Another notable figure was Alessandro Parlo, a military commander who lived from 1610 to 1679. He served in the Papal States' army and was renowned for his bravery and strategic skills during the various conflicts of the 17th century.
In the 18th century, a prominent member of the Parlo family was Giancarlo Parlo, a respected jurist and legal scholar born in Naples in 1725. He authored several influential treatises on civil law and served as a magistrate in the Kingdom of Naples.
While the Parlo surname originated in Italy, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and emigration. However, its roots can be traced back to the rich linguistic heritage of the Italian peninsula, where it first emerged as a descriptive surname during the Middle Ages.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Parlo
Among Census respondents with the surname Parlo, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) and Black (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Parlo 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 Parlo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.0% · 92
- Hispanic or Latino5.0% · 5
- Black or African American1.0% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
- Two or more races1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Parlo
Parlo 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
#150,452
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
-2 bearers (-1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 11,711 places
2020
#155,682
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
-9 bearers (-8.3%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 5,230 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #138,741 | 111 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #150,452 | 109 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.8%) | Down 11,711 places |
| 2020 | #155,682 | 100 | 0.03 | -9 bearers (-8.3%) | Down 5,230 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 Parlo 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 | #150,452 | #155,682 | -3.5% |
| Count | 109 | 100 | -8.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -16.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Parlo bearers went from 109 to 100 (-8.3% change). The surname moved down 5,230 positions in the national ranking, going from #150,452 to #155,682.
FAQ
Parlo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Parlo?
Name Census estimates that about 115 living Americans carry the surname Parlo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,980,473 residents.
How common is Parlo?
Parlo ranks #155,682 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 100 people with the surname Parlo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (115), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Parlo.
Has Parlo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Parlo went from 109 recorded bearers to 100. That is a decrease of 9 (-8.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #150,452 to #155,682.
What does the Census say about the background of Parlo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Parlo, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) and Black (1.0%). 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 Parlo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.0% (92 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Parlo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.0%), Hispanic (5.0%), Black (1.0%). 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 Parlo (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 Parlo mean?
From the French word "parler", meaning to speak. 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 Parlo (0.03 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 share the surname Parlo?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.