2000
#46,944
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 426
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.16
Very Rare Last name
Pallett
An English surname deriving from the Old French "paillet" meaning straw mattress or pallet.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 462 Americans carry the last name Pallett. That puts it at #55,082 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.13 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 741,893 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pallett 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Pallett with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
462
1 in 741,893
Census rank
#55,082
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
403
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 403 bearers of the surname Pallett in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.13 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 55082nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pallett, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pallett
The surname Pallett is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old French word "palet," which means a small, flat stone or a wooden disk used in a game similar to modern-day quoits or horseshoes. The name likely referred to someone who either played this game or lived near a place where it was played.
The earliest known record of the name Pallett dates back to the 13th century in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire, where it was spelled as "Pallet." This spelling variation suggests that the name was initially an occupational surname given to someone associated with the game of palet or palet-making.
In the 14th century, the name appeared in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire, where it was recorded as "Palet." This further reinforces the connection between the surname and the game of palet, which was popular among commoners during that era.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Pallett was John Pallet, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1273. Another notable bearer of this name was William Pallet, a landowner from Oxfordshire who was mentioned in the Feet of Fines records in 1384.
During the 16th century, the surname Pallett began to appear in various parish records across England. In 1544, a record from the Parish Registers of St. Michael's in Coventry mentioned a marriage between John Pallett and Margaret Smyth. Similarly, in 1592, the Parish Registers of St. Mary's in Nottingham recorded the baptism of Elizabeth Pallett, daughter of William Pallett.
In the 17th century, the surname Pallett continued to be found in various parts of England. One notable individual was John Pallett, a prominent merchant from Bristol who was born in 1632 and became a member of the Society of Merchant Venturers.
Another notable bearer of the surname Pallett was Richard Pallett, a Puritan minister who was born in Lincolnshire in 1638. He served as the rector of St. Mary's Church in Barton-upon-Humber and was known for his religious writings.
As the surname Pallett spread across England, it also began to appear in other parts of the British Isles. In the late 18th century, records show the presence of Palletts in Scotland, with individuals such as James Pallett, a merchant from Edinburgh, born in 1768.
Throughout its history, the surname Pallett has been associated with various occupations and professions, reflecting the diverse backgrounds of its bearers. From merchants and landowners to clergymen and tradesmen, the name has been carried by individuals from various walks of life.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pallett
Among Census respondents with the surname Pallett, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Pallett 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 Pallett surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.1% · 375
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 14
- Two or more races2.0% · 8
- Black or African American1.0% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pallett
Pallett 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
#46,647
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 456
+30 bearers (+7.0%)
Per 100,000 0.15
Rank movement Up 297 places
2020
#55,082
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 403
-53 bearers (-11.6%)
Per 100,000 0.13
Rank movement Down 8,435 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #46,944 | 426 | 0.16 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #46,647 | 456 | 0.15 | +30 bearers (+7.0%) | Up 297 places |
| 2020 | #55,082 | 403 | 0.13 | -53 bearers (-11.6%) | Down 8,435 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 Pallett 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 | #46,647 | #55,082 | -18.1% |
| Count | 456 | 403 | -11.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.15 | 0.13 | -10.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pallett bearers went from 456 to 403 (-11.6% change). The surname moved down 8,435 positions in the national ranking, going from #46,647 to #55,082.
FAQ
Pallett surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pallett?
Name Census estimates that about 462 living Americans carry the surname Pallett. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 741,893 residents.
How common is Pallett?
Pallett ranks #55,082 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.13 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 403 people with the surname Pallett. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (462), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.13 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.13 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 Pallett.
Has Pallett become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pallett went from 456 recorded bearers to 403. That is a decrease of 53 (-11.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #46,647 to #55,082.
What does the Census say about the background of Pallett?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pallett, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.0%). 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 Pallett in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.1% (375 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pallett appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.1%), Hispanic (3.5%), Two or More Races (2.0%). 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 Pallett (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 Pallett mean?
An English surname deriving from the Old French "paillet" meaning straw mattress or pallet. 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 Pallett (0.13 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 surname Pallett?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.