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

Greene, 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 Greene surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Greene in America

Greene is the 241st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Greene surname appeared 126,101 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 43 people would have the surname Greene.

We can also compare 2010 data for Greene 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 Greene

The surname Greene has its origins in England, tracing back to the 13th century. It is believed to be a topographic name, derived from the Old English word "grene," which means green or a village green. The name was likely given to someone who lived near a green or a grassy area.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname Greene can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire, dated 1273, which mentions a person named John del Grene. The Domesday Book of 1086 also includes several references to places with names containing the word "grene," such as Grenehille and Grenestede.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various forms, including Grene, Gren, and Grenne. Some notable examples from this period include Walter Grene, a member of Parliament in 1376, and John Grene, a scholar and theologian who lived in the late 14th century.

During the 15th and 16th centuries, the surname Greene became more widely distributed across England. One of the earliest recorded instances of the modern spelling is that of Thomas Greene, a merchant from London, who was mentioned in tax records in 1483.

The Greene family has a long and distinguished history, with several notable members. One of the most famous was Robert Greene (1558-1592), an English playwright, poet, and writer of prose fiction, who was a contemporary of William Shakespeare. Another notable figure was Nathanael Greene (1742-1786), a major general in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War, known for his successful campaign in the Southern states.

Other notable individuals with the surname Greene include Graham Greene (1904-1991), an English novelist and author of works such as "The Power and the Glory" and "The Quiet American," and Charles Greene (1945-), an American architect known for his work in sustainable and environmentally conscious design.

The name Greene has also been associated with several place names in England, such as Greene's Norton in Northamptonshire and Greenway in Devon, which may have derived their names from individuals with the surname or from the geographical features of the area.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Greene

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

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 Greene 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 Greene 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 Greene was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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