Explore the Family Name Palfrey
The meaning of Palfrey
English (mainly Devon and Somerset): nickname from Middle English palefrei ‘riding horse, palfrey’ (Old French palefroi, palefrei), perhaps for someone who looked after saddle-horses. Compare Palfreyman.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Palfrey in the United States?
According to data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Palfrey showed a slight decrease in rank from 2000 to 2010, moving from the 54,385th most popular surname to the 56,710th. Despite this, the number of people with this surname increased slightly from 355 to 360 during the same period. This minor increase in count, however, was not enough to prevent the proportion per 100,000 from decreasing by 7.69%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #54,385 | #56,710 | -4.28% |
| Count | 355 | 360 | 1.41% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.13 | 0.12 | -7.69% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Palfrey
In terms of the ethnic identity associated with the surname Palfrey, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals that there were no significant changes between 2000 and 2010. The majority of individuals with the Palfrey surname identified as White, with 84.23% in 2000 and a slight decrease to 83.33% in 2010. The second largest group identified as Black, showing an increase from 11.55% in 2000 to 13.33% in 2010. The proportions identifying as Hispanic saw a minimal decrease, while those identifying as two or more races disappeared entirely. There were no individuals who identified as Asian/Pacific Islander or American Indian and Alaskan Native during either census year.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 84.23% | 83.33% | -1.07% |
| Black | 11.55% | 13.33% | 15.41% |
| Hispanic | 2.25% | 2.22% | -1.33% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Two or More Races | 1.41% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |