2010
#154,907
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Parolin
An Italian surname derived from the word "parroco" meaning parish priest.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 131 Americans carry the last name Parolin. That puts it at #146,495 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,616,445 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Parolin 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
131
1 in 2,616,445
Census rank
#146,495
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
114
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 114 bearers of the surname Parolin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 146495th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Parolin, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.9%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (2.6%) and Hispanic (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Parolin
The surname Parolin has its origins in Italy, specifically in the northern region of Veneto. It is believed to have emerged in the late medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century. The name is derived from the Italian word "parola," which means "word" or "speech," possibly suggesting that the earliest bearers of this name were individuals associated with oratory, rhetoric, or communication in some way.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Parolin surname can be found in the historical archives of the city of Padua, dating back to the 15th century. In these records, a certain Giovanni Parolin is mentioned as a respected scholar and teacher at the University of Padua, which was one of the most renowned educational institutions in Europe during the Renaissance period.
The Parolin name can also be traced back to the small town of Parole, located in the province of Alessandria, in the Piedmont region of northwestern Italy. It is possible that the surname originated from this place name, with individuals migrating from Parole to other parts of Italy, carrying their surname with them.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the Parolin surname. One such person was Francesco Parolin (1519-1594), a renowned Italian architect and engineer who was actively involved in the construction and fortification of various cities in the Venetian Republic during the 16th century.
Another notable figure was Girolamo Parolin (1677-1755), an Italian composer and violinist who was highly regarded for his contributions to Baroque music. He served as the Kapellmeister (music director) at the court of the Duke of Württemberg in Stuttgart, Germany, during the early 18th century.
In the 19th century, Antonio Parolin (1814-1892) was a prominent Italian politician and statesman who served as the Minister of Finance in the government of the Kingdom of Italy. He played a crucial role in the economic and financial reforms that followed the unification of Italy in the latter half of the 19th century.
More recently, Pietro Parolin (born 1955) is a Vatican Cardinal who has held the position of Secretary of State, one of the highest-ranking positions in the Roman Catholic Church, since 2013. He has been instrumental in the diplomatic efforts of the Holy See during the pontificate of Pope Francis.
While the Parolin surname has its roots in Italy, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through Italian migration and diaspora communities. However, its rich history and origins can be traced back to the northern regions of Italy, where it first emerged as a distinct surname several centuries ago.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Parolin
Among Census respondents with the surname Parolin, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.9%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (2.6%) and Hispanic (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Parolin 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 Parolin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.9% · 107
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.6% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino1.8% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Parolin
Parolin appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#146,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
+9 bearers (+8.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 8,412 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #154,907 | 105 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #146,495 | 114 | 0.04 | +9 bearers (+8.6%) | Up 8,412 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 Parolin 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 | #154,907 | #146,495 | 5.4% |
| Count | 105 | 114 | 8.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Parolin bearers went from 105 to 114 (+8.6% change). The surname moved up 8,412 positions in the national ranking, going from #154,907 to #146,495.
FAQ
Parolin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Parolin?
Name Census estimates that about 131 living Americans carry the surname Parolin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,616,445 residents.
How common is Parolin?
Parolin ranks #146,495 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 114 people with the surname Parolin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (131), 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 Parolin.
Has Parolin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Parolin went from 105 recorded bearers to 114. That is an increase of 9 (+8.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #154,907 to #146,495.
What does the Census say about the background of Parolin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Parolin, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.9%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (2.6%) and Hispanic (1.8%). 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 Parolin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.9% (107 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Parolin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.6%), Hispanic (1.8%). 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 Parolin (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 Parolin mean?
An Italian surname derived from the word "parroco" meaning parish priest. 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 Parolin (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 common is the surname Parolin?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how common the surname Parolin is at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.