Palms are monocots (like corn, bamboo, and grass) so they don't produce annual growth rings like other trees. It is almost impossible to tell a palm's age without historic records like photographs, diaries, etc. There are some people that try to count leaf scars on the trunk and estimate the number of leaves produced per year but this technique is very dependent on growing conditions and is inexact at best. So work backward in your family history, starting from when you know for  certain it was there and then look for other evidence like Christmas or other photos, notes in a garden book that the first owner might have had, etc. Good luck. Chip Bubl

OSU Extension/Columbia County <personal data hidden>