Explore the Family Name Palma
The meaning of Palma
1. Spanish, Catalan, Galician, Portuguese, and southern Italian: habitational name from any of various places called with Latin palma ‘palm’. 2. Italian: from the personal name Palma ‘palm’, bestowed with reference to the triumphal entry of Christ into Jerusalem before his arrest and crucifixion. The personal name is used for both sexes, though predominantly for females. 3. Portuguese: habitational name from Parma in Italy. Some characteristic forenames: Spanish Jose, Carlos, Luis, Juan, Manuel, Mario, Miguel, Rafael, Ruben, Alfredo, Alfonso, Francisco. Portuguese Godofredo, Joaquim, Ligia, Wenceslao. Italian Antonio, Angelo, Lorenzo, Palma, Caesar, Carlo, Caesar, Cecilio, Clemente, Constantino, Dino, Domenic.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Palma in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Palma saw a significant increase in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it ranked 2312th among all surnames, but by 2010, its rank improved to 1735th, representing a change of nearly 25%. The count of people with this surname also rose from 14,339 in 2000 to 20,636 in 2010, marking an increase of approximately 44%. Accordingly, the proportion of individuals named Palma per 100,000 people increased by over 31%, from 5.32 to 7.0.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,312 | #1,735 | 24.96% |
| Count | 14,339 | 20,636 | 43.92% |
| Proportion per 100k | 5.32 | 7 | 31.58% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Palma
The ethnic identity associated with the surname Palma also underwent changes during this period. According to the Decennial U.S. Census data, the majority of people with this last name identified as Hispanic, with a substantial increase from 64.85% in 2000 to 72.53% in 2010. Conversely, there were reductions in the percentages of those identifying as White (from 27.16% to 20.07%), Black (from 0.96% to 0.80%), American Indian and Alaskan Native (from 0.32% to 0.19%), and those reporting two or more races (from 1.04% to 0.78%). The Asian/Pacific Islander category remained relatively stable, experiencing a minimal decrease from 5.66% to 5.64%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hispanic | 64.85% | 72.53% | 11.84% |
| White | 27.16% | 20.07% | -26.1% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 5.66% | 5.64% | -0.35% |
| Black | 0.96% | 0.8% | -16.67% |
| Two or More Races | 1.04% | 0.78% | -25% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.32% | 0.19% | -40.62% |
Palma ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Palma is Spanish & Portuguese, which comprises 27.7% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are Indigenous American (18.3%) and Italian (14.6%). Additional ancestries include British & Irish, French & German, Filipino & Austronesian, Eastern European, and Ashkenazi Jewish.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| Spanish & Portuguese | 27.7% |
| Indigenous American | 18.3% |
| Italian | 14.6% |
| Other | 39.4% |
Possible origins of the surname Palma
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Palma have recent ancestry locations all within Mexico.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Zacatecas, Mexico | 34.00% |
| Sinaloa, Mexico | 34.00% |
| Sonora, Mexico | 34.00% |
| Puebla, Mexico | 34.00% |
| Oaxaca, Mexico | 34.00% |
What Palma haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Palma is R-U152, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-U152 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include Q-M3 and E-V13, which are predominantly found among people with East Asian & Indigenous American and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Pinto, Weber, Miller, Wolf, Hoffman, Becker, Mayer, Simon, Freeman, Ortiz.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Palma surname are: A2, H1, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to some of the first Americans
Though the Ice Age was beginning to retreat when your A2 ancestors first entered North America, there were still massive barriers blocking their way. Glaciers and inhospitable climate covered much of the continent, blocking entry into the interior. Nonetheless, researchers have found evidence that a wave of American founders migrated over 13,000 kilometers to reach southern Chile in only 2,000 years, a blink of an eye in the story of human migration! Their highway to the south was the coast of the Pacific, stocked with fish, diverse marine mammals, and other valuable resources in the rich kelp forests of the upper latitudes and in the abundant fresh-water rivers near the equator. Because of this rapid movement south, the A2 haplogroup and its diverse branches are found throughout North and South America.
What do people with the surname Palma have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Palma" Surname 42.3%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Palma" Surname 36.2%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Palma" Surname 16.4%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Palma" Surname 11.0%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Palma?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Palma are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition