Explore the Family Name Palen
The meaning of Palen
1. Americanized form of Dutch Peelen. 2. Americanized form of North German Pahlen. In part, this name was brought to the US from Luxembourg. 3. Polish (Paleń): unexplained. History: An early (1630s) immigrant from Nijkerk, the Netherlands, to Rensselaerswyck, NY, called Peelen was the ancestor of many of present-day bearers of the surname Palen. Palenville in Ulster County, NY, is named from the same source.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Palen in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Palen has been growing in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked 16871 in terms of popularity, but by 2010 it had climbed to 16349, showing a positive change of 3.09%. The count of individuals with this last name also increased from 1557 in 2000 to 1762 in 2010, marking a substantial growth of 13.17%. The proportion of people named Palen per 100k also saw an increase of 3.45%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #16,871 | #16,349 | 3.09% |
| Count | 1,557 | 1,762 | 13.17% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.58 | 0.6 | 3.45% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Palen
The ethnic identity associated with the surname Palen has also shifted, as evidenced by the Decennial U.S. Census data. In 2000, the majority of people with the surname Palen identified as White (92.81%), but this proportion decreased to 87.85% by 2010. There were notable increases in other ethnic identities over the decade: the Asian/Pacific Islander group saw a significant rise of 237.50%, moving from 0.64% to 2.16%, and those identifying as Black grew from 0.45% to 1.25%. The proportion of people with this surname who identified as Hispanic increased from 4.69% to 6.58%. However, there was a decrease in the percentage of those identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native, from 0.64% to 0.40%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 92.81% | 87.85% | -5.34% |
| Hispanic | 4.69% | 6.58% | 40.3% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.64% | 2.16% | 237.5% |
| Two or More Races | 0.77% | 1.76% | 128.57% |
| Black | 0.45% | 1.25% | 177.78% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.64% | 0.4% | -37.5% |