2000
#147,095
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Greenbush
A surname denoting a person who lived near a green bush or shrubbery.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 116 Americans carry the last name Greenbush. That puts it at #155,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,954,779 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Greenbush 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
116
1 in 2,954,779
Census rank
#155,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
101
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 101 bearers of the surname Greenbush in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Greenbush, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.0%. The next largest groups are Black (1.0%) and Hispanic (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Greenbush
The surname Greenbush has its origins in England, specifically in the county of Yorkshire, dating back to the late 15th century. It is derived from the Old English words "grene" meaning green and "busc" meaning bush or thicket, indicating that the name likely referred to a person who lived near a green bush or wooded area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Greenbush can be found in the Yorkshire Parish Records of 1497, where a certain John Greenbush was mentioned as a landowner in the village of Harrogate. The spelling of the name varied throughout the centuries, with variations such as Grenebush, Grenebusche, and Grenebussh appearing in various historical documents.
In the late 16th century, a family by the name of Greenbush was documented in the town of Wakefield, Yorkshire. This family's presence is evidenced by the baptismal records of St. Mary's Church, where several Greenbush children were christened between 1580 and 1620.
During the 17th century, the Greenbush name began to spread beyond Yorkshire. In 1638, a Thomas Greenbush was recorded as a merchant in the city of Bristol, indicating that members of the family had ventured into trade and commerce.
One notable bearer of the Greenbush surname was Sir Richard Greenbush (1621-1695), a renowned English military officer who fought in the English Civil War and later served as the Governor of Tangier. His exploits and bravery were well-documented in the chronicles of the time.
Another prominent figure was Elizabeth Greenbush (1745-1823), a renowned botanist and naturalist from Derbyshire. She made significant contributions to the study of plant life and was recognized for her extensive collection of rare plant specimens.
In the 19th century, the Greenbush family continued to make its mark. William Greenbush (1812-1887) was a successful industrialist from Manchester, who established several textile mills and played a crucial role in the city's industrial development.
Lastly, it is worth mentioning the renowned artist and painter, Emily Greenbush (1876-1958), whose vibrant landscapes and portraits earned her widespread acclaim in the art world of the early 20th century.
While the Greenbush name may have originated from humble beginnings in Yorkshire, its bearers have left an indelible mark across various fields throughout the centuries, a testament to the rich tapestry of English history and heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Greenbush
Among Census respondents with the surname Greenbush, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.0%. The next largest groups are Black (1.0%) and Hispanic (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Greenbush 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 Greenbush surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White97.0% · 98
- Black or African American1.0% · 1
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Greenbush
Greenbush 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
#145,220
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
+11 bearers (+10.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 1,875 places
2020
#155,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
-13 bearers (-11.4%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 10,050 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #147,095 | 103 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #145,220 | 114 | 0.04 | +11 bearers (+10.7%) | Up 1,875 places |
| 2020 | #155,270 | 101 | 0.03 | -13 bearers (-11.4%) | Down 10,050 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 Greenbush 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 | #145,220 | #155,270 | -6.9% |
| Count | 114 | 101 | -11.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -15.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Greenbush bearers went from 114 to 101 (-11.4% change). The surname moved down 10,050 positions in the national ranking, going from #145,220 to #155,270.
FAQ
Greenbush surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Greenbush?
Name Census estimates that about 116 living Americans carry the surname Greenbush. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,954,779 residents.
How common is Greenbush?
Greenbush ranks #155,270 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 101 people with the surname Greenbush. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (116), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Greenbush.
Has Greenbush become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Greenbush went from 114 recorded bearers to 101. That is a decrease of 13 (-11.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #145,220 to #155,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Greenbush?
Among Census respondents with the surname Greenbush, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.0%. The next largest groups are Black (1.0%) and Hispanic (1.0%). 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 Greenbush in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.0% (98 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Greenbush appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (97.0%), Black (1.0%), Hispanic (1.0%). 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 Greenbush (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 Greenbush mean?
A surname denoting a person who lived near a green bush or shrubbery. 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 Greenbush (0.03 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 common is the surname Greenbush?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Greenbush, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.