2000
#134,037
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Greenig
A locative surname derived from a green meadow or grassy field.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Greenig. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Greenig 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Greenig in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Greenig, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Greenig
The surname "GREENIG" has its origins in the German language, with roots dating back to the Middle Ages, around the 13th century. It is believed to have originated from the southern regions of Germany, primarily in the areas surrounding Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg.
The name itself is derived from the Old German word "grün," which means "green." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this surname may have been associated with occupations or locations related to greenery, such as foresters, gardeners, or residents of particularly verdant areas.
While there are no definitive historical records mentioning the surname "GREENIG" in its exact spelling, it is possible that variations of the name appeared in medieval documents or local records. One potential reference could be the Codex Manesse, a renowned collection of Middle High German lyric poetry from the 13th century, which may have included references to individuals with similar-sounding surnames.
The earliest recorded instances of the name "GREENIG" can be traced back to the early 16th century. One notable bearer was Hans Greenig, a merchant from Augsburg, Germany, who was born in 1512 and played a significant role in the city's trade with other European regions.
Another individual of note was Johannes Greenig, a Lutheran theologian born in Nuremberg in 1580. He was known for his scholarly works on religious texts and his contributions to the Protestant Reformation.
In the 17th century, the name "GREENIG" appeared in the records of the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, a well-preserved medieval city in Bavaria. One prominent figure was Christoph Greenig, a respected tradesman and member of the local guild, who lived from 1638 to 1712.
Moving into the 18th century, there was a notable military figure named Friedrich Greenig, born in 1745 in Heidelberg. He served as a captain in the Prussian Army and participated in several campaigns during the Napoleonic Wars.
Lastly, in the 19th century, the name "GREENIG" was associated with a family of artists from the region of Baden-Württemberg. The most renowned member was Karl Greenig, a landscape painter born in 1832, whose works captured the beauty of the Black Forest and surrounding areas.
While these are just a few examples, the surname "GREENIG" has a rich history spanning several centuries, with its origins deeply rooted in the German language and culture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Greenig
Among Census respondents with the surname Greenig, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Greenig 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 Greenig surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.6% · 112
- Hispanic or Latino6.6% · 8
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Greenig
Greenig 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
#126,765
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 135
+19 bearers (+16.4%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 7,272 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
-14 bearers (-10.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 14,544 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,037 | 116 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #126,765 | 135 | 0.05 | +19 bearers (+16.4%) | Up 7,272 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | -14 bearers (-10.4%) | Down 14,544 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 Greenig 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 | #126,765 | #141,309 | -11.5% |
| Count | 135 | 121 | -10.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -19.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Greenig bearers went from 135 to 121 (-10.4% change). The surname moved down 14,544 positions in the national ranking, going from #126,765 to #141,309.
FAQ
Greenig surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Greenig?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Greenig. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Greenig?
Greenig ranks #141,309 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 121 people with the surname Greenig. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Greenig.
Has Greenig become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Greenig went from 135 recorded bearers to 121. That is a decrease of 14 (-10.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #126,765 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Greenig?
Among Census respondents with the surname Greenig, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%). 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 Greenig in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.6% (112 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Greenig appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.6%), Hispanic (6.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%). 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 Greenig (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 Greenig mean?
A locative surname derived from a green meadow or grassy field. 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 Greenig (0.04 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 Greenig?
You can see how many people have the surname Greenig on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.