2000
#158
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 150,407
First available Census row
Per 100,000 55.76
Common Last name
Palmer
An occupational surname referring to a pilgrim who carried a palm branch as a symbol of their journey.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 173,345 Americans carry the last name Palmer. That puts it at #176 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 50.57 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,977 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Palmer 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 Palmer with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
173K
1 in 1,977
Census rank
#176
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
50.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
151K
common in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 151,165 bearers of the surname Palmer in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 50.57 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 176th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Palmer, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.9%. The next largest groups are Black (18.5%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Palmer
The surname Palmer originated in England during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old French word 'palmier', meaning a pilgrim who carried a palm leaf upon returning from the Holy Land. The name was first recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as 'Palmerus'.
In the 12th century, the surname Palmer was found in various regions of England, including Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Norfolk. It was often associated with families who lived near churches dedicated to St. John the Baptist, whose symbol was a palm branch.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name is William Palmer, a monk who lived in the town of Crowland, Lincolnshire, in the late 12th century. He is mentioned in the Crowland Chronicle, a medieval manuscript detailing the history of the local abbey.
Another notable Palmer was John Palmer, a wealthy merchant from Leicestershire who was born in 1445. He made a fortune in the wool trade and became a prominent figure in Leicester, serving as the town's mayor in 1485.
In the 16th century, the Palmer surname was also found in Scotland, where it was sometimes spelled 'Palmeir' or 'Palmair'. One famous bearer of the name was Robert Palmer, a Scottish clergyman who lived from 1545 to 1619 and was known for his sermons and writings on theology.
During the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, a family of Palmers lived in the village of Wingham, Kent. One member, Sir Thomas Palmer, was born in 1540 and served as a member of Parliament and a justice of the peace.
In the 17th century, the Palmer name was associated with several notable figures in the English Civil War. One such individual was Roger Palmer, born in 1615, who fought on the Royalist side and was later appointed as a member of the Privy Council by King Charles II.
The surname Palmer has a rich history spanning centuries in England and Scotland. It has been borne by monks, merchants, clergymen, politicians, and soldiers, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and achievements of those who carried this name throughout the ages.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Palmer
Among Census respondents with the surname Palmer, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.9%. The next largest groups are Black (18.5%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Palmer 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 Palmer surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White71.9% · 108,692
- Black or African American18.5% · 27,942
- Two or more races4.2% · 6,414
- Hispanic or Latino4.0% · 5,987
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 1,095
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 1,035
Timeline
Historical Census data for Palmer
Palmer 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
#172
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 156,601
+6,194 bearers (+4.1%)
Per 100,000 53.09
Rank movement Down 14 places
2020
#176
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 151,165
-5,436 bearers (-3.5%)
Per 100,000 50.57
Rank movement Down 4 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #158 | 150,407 | 55.76 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #172 | 156,601 | 53.09 | +6,194 bearers (+4.1%) | Down 14 places |
| 2020 | #176 | 151,165 | 50.57 | -5,436 bearers (-3.5%) | Down 4 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 Palmer 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 | #172 | #176 | -2.3% |
| Count | 156,601 | 151,165 | -3.5% |
| Per 100K | 53.09 | 50.57 | -4.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Palmer bearers went from 156,601 to 151,165 (-3.5% change). The surname moved down 4 positions in the national ranking, going from #172 to #176.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Palmer
FAQ
Palmer surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Palmer?
Name Census estimates that about 173,345 living Americans carry the surname Palmer. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,977 residents.
How common is Palmer?
Palmer ranks #176 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Common." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 50.57 per 100,000 residents, which is about 51 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 151,165 people with the surname Palmer. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (173,345), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 50.57 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 50.57 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 51 of them to have the surname Palmer.
Has Palmer become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Palmer went from 156,601 recorded bearers to 151,165. That is a decrease of 5,436 (-3.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #172 to #176.
What does the Census say about the background of Palmer?
Among Census respondents with the surname Palmer, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.9%. The next largest groups are Black (18.5%) and Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Palmer in the 2020 Census, accounting for 71.9% (108,692 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Palmer appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (71.9%), Black (18.5%), Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Palmer (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 Palmer mean?
An occupational surname referring to a pilgrim who carried a palm branch as a symbol of their journey. 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 Palmer (50.57 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 Palmer?
Find out how many people have the surname Palmer on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.