2000
#12,711
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,231
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.83
Rare Last name
Greening
An English toponymic surname referring to someone who lived near a grassy area or village green.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,323 Americans carry the last name Greening. That puts it at #14,226 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.68 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 147,548 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Greening 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Greening with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.3K
1 in 147,548
Census rank
#14,226
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,026 bearers of the surname Greening in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.68 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14226th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Greening, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.9%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Greening
The surname Greening is of Anglo-Saxon origin, deriving from the Old English word "grene," meaning "green," and likely referred to someone who lived near a green or grassy area. It is believed to have originated in England during the early medieval period, around the 11th or 12th century.
While the name itself is not recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of landowners in England, some variations and similar spellings can be found, such as "Grene" and "Grenewode." These early forms of the name suggest a connection to the color green or to a wooded, verdant area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Greening is found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1195, where a person named William Grening is mentioned. The Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire from 1279 also contain a reference to a John le Grenyng.
Place names and locations played a significant role in the development of surnames during the medieval period. The name Greening may have been derived from or associated with places like Greenings, a township in Staffordshire, or Greening's Hill in Shropshire.
Among the notable figures throughout history who bore the surname Greening, we have:
1. Henry Greening (1781-1865), an English watchmaker and inventor from Newcastle upon Tyne, known for his innovations in watchmaking and for establishing the Greening's Chronometer Factory.
2. Richard Greening (1801-1858), an English architect and civil engineer responsible for designing several churches and public buildings in London.
3. Alice Greening (1837-1928), a British social reformer and philanthropist who advocated for women's rights and established the Alice Greening Home for Girls in London.
4. Samuel Greening (1834-1905), an English architect and surveyor who worked on several notable projects in London, including the Royal Albert Hall and the Alexandra Palace.
5. John Greening (1891-1963), an Australian cricketer who played Test cricket for the Australian national team in the early 20th century.
The surname Greening has a rich history and a connection to the natural world, specifically green spaces and wooded areas. Its evolution and variations reflect the cultural and linguistic influences of different regions in England and beyond.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Greening
Among Census respondents with the surname Greening, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.9%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Greening 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 Greening surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.7% · 1,756
- Hispanic or Latino4.9% · 100
- Two or more races3.7% · 74
- Black or African American3.2% · 64
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.2% · 25
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Greening
Greening 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
#13,357
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,282
+51 bearers (+2.3%)
Per 100,000 0.77
Rank movement Down 646 places
2020
#14,226
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,026
-256 bearers (-11.2%)
Per 100,000 0.68
Rank movement Down 869 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,711 | 2,231 | 0.83 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,357 | 2,282 | 0.77 | +51 bearers (+2.3%) | Down 646 places |
| 2020 | #14,226 | 2,026 | 0.68 | -256 bearers (-11.2%) | Down 869 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 Greening 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 | #13,357 | #14,226 | -6.5% |
| Count | 2,282 | 2,026 | -11.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.77 | 0.68 | -12.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Greening bearers went from 2,282 to 2,026 (-11.2% change). The surname moved down 869 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,357 to #14,226.
FAQ
Greening surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Greening?
Name Census estimates that about 2,323 living Americans carry the surname Greening. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 147,548 residents.
How common is Greening?
Greening ranks #14,226 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.68 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 2,026 people with the surname Greening. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,323), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.68 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.68 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 Greening.
Has Greening become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Greening went from 2,282 recorded bearers to 2,026. That is a decrease of 256 (-11.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,357 to #14,226.
What does the Census say about the background of Greening?
Among Census respondents with the surname Greening, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.9%) and Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Greening in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.7% (1,756 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Greening appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.7%), Hispanic (4.9%), Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Greening (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 Greening mean?
An English toponymic surname referring to someone who lived near a grassy area or village green. 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 Greening (0.68 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 Greening?
You can see how many people are called Greening on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.