How common is the last name Palmer?

151,165 people in the United States have the last name Palmer, about 1 in 1,977. It ranks #176 of 156,621 last names in the 2020 Census.

last name

PALMER

#176

of 156,621 last names recorded in the 2020 Census

People
151,165
About
1 in 1,977
This common or more
21.4%
Who bears it

Of the 151,165 people with the last name Palmer, 71.9% reported their origin as White, 18.5% as Black and 4.2% as two or more races. These count how people described themselves on the 2020 Census, not where the name comes from.

Either side of Palmer

#174 Hicks · 151,942#175 Black · 151,439#177 Salazar · 150,906#178 Holmes · 150,877

Spelled almost the same

4 last names in the 2020 Census spelled within a letter or two of Palmer, most common first.

#13,032 Palmeri · 2,252#30,686 Palmero · 813#87,947 Palmier · 227#94,713 Palmar · 207

Also a first name

As a first name, Palmer ranks #3,170 of 53,615, with 6,871 people. As a baby name it peaked in 2025, with 1,560 births. See Palmer as a first name

Compare