2000
#139,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Palmeiro
A topographic surname referring to someone living near or among palm trees.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Palmeiro. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Palmeiro 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
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Palmeiro in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Palmeiro, the largest self-reported group is White at 52.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (40.5%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Palmeiro
The surname Palmeiro originated in Portugal during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Portuguese word "palmeira," which means "palm tree." This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone who lived near a palm tree or a plantation of palm trees.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Palmeiro can be found in a document from the 14th century, which mentions a person named Afonso Palmeiro. This indicates that the name was already in use during that time period in Portugal.
In the 15th century, the name Palmeiro appeared in various historical records related to the Portuguese exploration and colonization of islands in the Atlantic Ocean, such as the Azores and Madeira. Some of these records mention individuals with the surname Palmeiro who were settlers or soldiers involved in these expeditions.
During the 16th century, as Portugal expanded its maritime empire, the name Palmeiro spread to other Portuguese colonies and territories, including Brazil. The name can be found in historical documents from that time period related to the colonization and administration of these regions.
One notable individual with the surname Palmeiro was João Palmeiro, a Portuguese explorer who was part of the expedition led by Pedro Álvares Cabral that discovered Brazil in 1500. João Palmeiro was born in the late 15th century and played a significant role in the early exploration and mapping of the Brazilian coast.
Another famous person with the surname Palmeiro was Pedro Palmeiro, a Portuguese poet and playwright who lived in the 16th century. He was born in Lisbon in 1537 and is known for his works that explored themes of love, religion, and social commentary.
In the 17th century, the name Palmeiro appears in records related to the Portuguese presence in Asia, particularly in territories such as Goa and Macau. For example, there are references to a Diogo Palmeiro who served as a military officer in Goa during the early 1600s.
As the Portuguese empire expanded and contracted over the centuries, the surname Palmeiro spread to various parts of the world, including Africa and other regions where Portuguese settlers and colonists established communities.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Palmeiro
Among Census respondents with the surname Palmeiro, the largest self-reported group is White at 52.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (40.5%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Palmeiro 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 Palmeiro surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White52.3% · 58
- Hispanic or Latino40.5% · 45
- Two or more races3.6% · 4
- Black or African American1.8% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Palmeiro
Palmeiro 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
#144,141
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
+5 bearers (+4.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,384 places
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
-4 bearers (-3.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,524 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #139,757 | 110 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #144,141 | 115 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.5%) | Down 4,384 places |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.5%) | Down 4,524 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 Palmeiro 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 | #144,141 | #148,665 | -3.1% |
| Count | 115 | 111 | -3.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Palmeiro bearers went from 115 to 111 (-3.5% change). The surname moved down 4,524 positions in the national ranking, going from #144,141 to #148,665.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Palmeiro
FAQ
Palmeiro surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Palmeiro?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Palmeiro. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Palmeiro?
Palmeiro ranks #148,665 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 111 people with the surname Palmeiro. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), 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 Palmeiro.
Has Palmeiro become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Palmeiro went from 115 recorded bearers to 111. That is a decrease of 4 (-3.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #144,141 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Palmeiro?
Among Census respondents with the surname Palmeiro, the largest self-reported group is White at 52.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (40.5%) and Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Palmeiro in the 2020 Census, accounting for 52.3% (58 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Palmeiro appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (52.3%), Hispanic (40.5%), Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Palmeiro (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 Palmeiro mean?
A topographic surname referring to someone living near or among palm trees. 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 Palmeiro (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 are called Palmeiro?
See how many people have the last name Palmeiro on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.