Find out how popular the last name Greenawalt is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Greenawalt.

Greenawalt, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Greenawalt surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Greenawalt in America

Greenawalt is the 10224th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Greenawalt surname appeared 3,153 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Greenawalt.

We can also compare 2010 data for Greenawalt to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Greenawalt

The surname Greenawalt originated in Germany, with its roots dating back to the 16th century. It is derived from the German words "grün," meaning green, and "wald," meaning forest or woods. This suggests that the name was likely given to someone who lived near or worked in a green forest area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Greenawalt surname can be found in the parish records of the town of Büdingen, located in the modern-day state of Hesse, Germany. In 1583, a man named Hans Grünewald was mentioned in these records, which is believed to be an early variant spelling of the name Greenawalt.

As the name spread throughout Germany and other parts of Europe, various spellings emerged, such as Grünwald, Grünewald, and Grünevald. These variations were likely influenced by regional dialects and the preferences of local record-keepers.

In the 17th century, the Greenawalt surname made its way to America as part of the larger German immigration to Pennsylvania and other colonies. One of the earliest known individuals with this surname in America was Johannes Grünewaldt, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1737.

Over the centuries, several notable individuals have carried the Greenawalt surname. One such individual was Johann Grünwald (1643-1706), a German mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the study of comets and planetary motion.

Another notable figure was Johann Friedrich Greenawalt (1766-1828), a German-born American farmer and politician who served as a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in the early 19th century.

In the 20th century, Edward Greenawalt (1904-1997) was a renowned American architect known for his work on several notable buildings, including the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs.

Additionally, John Greenawalt (1923-2014) was an American businessman and philanthropist who co-founded the successful automotive parts company, Greenawalt & Company.

Finally, Henry Greenawalt (1879-1962) was a prominent American businessman and industrialist who played a significant role in the growth of the steel industry in the early 20th century.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Greenawalt

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Greenawalt.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Greenawalt was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Greenawalt has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Greenawalt was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Greenawalt, please contact us.

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