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

Greenlaw, 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 Greenlaw surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Greenlaw in America

Greenlaw is the 15250th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Greenlaw surname appeared 1,928 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Greenlaw.

We can also compare 2010 data for Greenlaw 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 Greenlaw

The surname Greenlaw originated in the Scottish Borders region of Scotland in the Middle Ages. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "grene" meaning green and "hlaw" meaning hill or mound, referring to a green hill or elevated area of land. The earliest recorded spelling of the name appears in the thirteenth century as "Grenlaw" in the records of Berwickshire.

In the late thirteenth century, a Richard de Grenlaw is mentioned in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a collection of instruments recording the submission of Scottish nobles and gentry to Edward I of England. This suggests the Greenlaw surname was established in the Scottish Borders by this time.

The name is also associated with the small village of Greenlaw in Berwickshire, which likely took its name from the same Old English roots as the surname. This village is mentioned in a charter granted by King David I of Scotland in the twelfth century.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the Greenlaw surname was Sir Robert de Greenlaw, a Scottish knight who fought in the Wars of Scottish Independence in the early fourteenth century. He was a supporter of King Robert the Bruce and was present at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314.

In the fifteenth century, a William Greenlaw is recorded as a burgess (a respected citizen) of the town of Jedburgh in the Scottish Borders in 1458. This suggests the Greenlaw family had gained status and prominence in the region by this time.

Another notable bearer of the Greenlaw surname was John Greenlaw, a Scottish clergyman who served as Bishop of Aberdeen from 1491 to 1512. He was a significant figure in the Scottish Renaissance and is known for his patronage of education and the arts.

In the seventeenth century, the Greenlaw family had established themselves in other parts of Scotland as well. One example is Alexander Greenlaw, who was born in Glasgow in 1629 and served as the minister of the parish of Monkton in Ayrshire.

Other individuals with the Greenlaw surname include Richard Greenlaw (1772-1855), a Scottish-born farmer and landowner who emigrated to Nova Scotia, Canada, and James Greenlaw (1832-1908), a Scottish-born architect who worked in Melbourne, Australia.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Greenlaw

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

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

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

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