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

Greenland, 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 Greenland surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Greenland in America

Greenland is the 19189th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Greenland surname appeared 1,415 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Greenland.

We can also compare 2010 data for Greenland 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 Greenland

The surname Greenland is of English origin, derived from the place name "Greenland" which refers to the island country between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans. The name is believed to have originated in the late 10th century after the Viking explorer Erik the Red first sighted Greenland and established a settlement there.

While the name Greenland itself is rooted in the Old Norse words "grōn" meaning "green" and "land" meaning "land", the surname's etymology points to an English origin. It likely emerged as a way to identify individuals who either came from Greenland or had some association with the region.

Some of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Greenland can be found in medieval English records, such as the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which document a Robert de Grenelande in Oxfordshire. The Subsidy Rolls of 1327 also mention a Thomas Grenlond in Cambridgeshire.

In the 15th century, the surname appeared in various forms including Grenlond, Grenelonde, and Grenelund, reflecting the linguistic variations of the time. One notable bearer of the name was John Greenland, a merchant and member of the Worshipful Company of Mercers in London, who lived around 1450.

As exploration and trade with Greenland increased in the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname Greenland became more prevalent in England. William Greenland (1537-1612) was a notable figure who served as the Captain of Gravesend, responsible for overseeing shipping on the River Thames.

Another prominent individual was Sir John Greenland (1602-1675), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Gloucester and played a role in the English Civil War. He was knighted by King Charles I in 1642.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, the surname Greenland continued to be found throughout England, with various individuals making contributions in different fields. Benjamin Greenland (1756-1823) was an influential nonconformist minister and author, while John Greenland (1821-1891) was a renowned English landscape painter.

While the surname Greenland is not extremely common, it has been carried by notable individuals throughout history, reflecting its roots in the exploration and settlement of the island country that bears its name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Greenland

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

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

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

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