Greenwood
Likely derived from a residence near a green forest or woodland area.
Name Census estimates that about 0 living Americans carry the first name Greenwood. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Greenwood today is around 0 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Greenwood births was 1918 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Greenwood. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Greenwood. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
0
~ - Americans
Peak year
1918
6 babies that year
Average age
-
1918 SSA rank
#3,905
Tracked since 1918
Popularity
Greenwood: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Greenwood by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Greenwood during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1910s | 6 | 0 | 6 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Greenwood
The name Greenwood has its origins in the English language, derived from the combination of two words: "green" and "wood." It emerged as a descriptive name, likely referring to someone who lived near or in a lush, forested area. The earliest recorded use of the name dates back to the 13th century in England.
One of the earliest known historical figures with the name Greenwood was William Greenwood, an English clergyman who lived from 1572 to 1634. He served as the Dean of Durham Cathedral and was known for his writings on religious topics.
In the 17th century, John Greenwood (1597-1659) was an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament during the English Civil War. He was a supporter of the Parliamentarian cause and played a role in the events leading to the execution of King Charles I.
Moving forward to the 18th century, Isaac Greenwood (1702-1745) was a English mathematician and surveyor. He made significant contributions to the field of surveying and wrote several influential works on the subject.
In the 19th century, Grace Greenwood (1823-1904), whose real name was Sara Jane Lippincott, was an American author and poet. She wrote extensively on various topics, including women's rights and abolition, and was considered a prominent literary figure of her time.
Another notable figure with the name Greenwood was Walter Greenwood (1903-1974), an English novelist and playwright. His most famous work, "Love on the Dole," published in 1933, depicted the harsh realities of working-class life during the Great Depression and was later adapted into a successful play and film.
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who have borne the name Greenwood, a name that has endured for centuries and continues to be used in various parts of the English-speaking world.
People
Greenwood + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Greenwood as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with G
Other first names starting with G with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Greenwood: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Greenwood?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 0 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Greenwood going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about - US residents.
Is Greenwood a common name?
We classify Greenwood as "Very Rare". It ranks above 2.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 6 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Greenwood most popular?
The single biggest year for Greenwood was 1918, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Greenwood is about 0 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Greenwood in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Greenwood a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Greenwood in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Greenwood still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Greenwood in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Greenwood can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are called Greenwood?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.