2000
#10,081
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,948
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.09
Rare Last name
Greenawalt
A habitational surname referring to someone from Grünewald, meaning "green forest" in German.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,395 Americans carry the last name Greenawalt. That puts it at #10,339 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.99 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 100,959 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Greenawalt surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
3.4K
1 in 100,959
Census rank
#10,339
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,961 bearers of the surname Greenawalt in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.99 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10339th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Greenawalt, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Greenawalt
Among Census respondents with the surname Greenawalt, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Greenawalt bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Greenawalt surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.8% · 2,747
- Two or more races3.1% · 93
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 87
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 15
- Black or African American0.4% · 13
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Greenawalt
Greenawalt appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#10,224
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,153
+205 bearers (+7.0%)
Per 100,000 1.07
Rank movement Down 143 places
2020
#10,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,961
-192 bearers (-6.1%)
Per 100,000 0.99
Rank movement Down 115 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,081 | 2,948 | 1.09 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,224 | 3,153 | 1.07 | +205 bearers (+7.0%) | Down 143 places |
| 2020 | #10,339 | 2,961 | 0.99 | -192 bearers (-6.1%) | Down 115 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Greenawalt surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #10,224 | #10,339 | -1.1% |
| Count | 3,153 | 2,961 | -6.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.07 | 0.99 | -7.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Greenawalt bearers went from 3,153 to 2,961 (-6.1% change). The surname moved down 115 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,224 to #10,339.
FAQ
Greenawalt surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Greenawalt?
Name Census estimates that about 3,395 living Americans carry the surname Greenawalt. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 100,959 residents.
How common is Greenawalt?
Greenawalt ranks #10,339 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.99 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,961 people with the surname Greenawalt. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,395), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.99 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.99 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Greenawalt.
Has Greenawalt become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Greenawalt went from 3,153 recorded bearers to 2,961. That is a decrease of 192 (-6.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,224 to #10,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Greenawalt?
Among Census respondents with the surname Greenawalt, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (2.9%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Greenawalt in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.8% (2,747 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Greenawalt appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.8%), Two or More Races (3.1%), Hispanic (2.9%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Greenawalt (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Greenawalt mean?
A habitational surname referring to someone from Grünewald, meaning "green forest" in German. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Greenawalt (0.99 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Greenawalt?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.