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

Greenleaf, 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 Greenleaf surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Greenleaf in America

Greenleaf is the 8373rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Greenleaf surname appeared 3,954 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 Greenleaf.

We can also compare 2010 data for Greenleaf 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 Greenleaf

The surname Greenleaf is of English origin, dating back to the medieval era. It is a locational surname, derived from the various places named "Greenleaf" found across England, particularly in counties like Lancashire and Yorkshire. These place names are believed to have originated from the Old English words "grene" meaning green and "leaf" meaning a meadow or clearing in a forest.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Greenleaf can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1190, where a Robert de Grenelef is mentioned. This spelling variation highlights the evolution of the name over time. The Subsidy Rolls of Staffordshire from 1327 also list a Richard de Grenelef, further solidifying the surname's presence during the Middle Ages.

In the famous Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror, there are no direct references to the surname Greenleaf. However, the book does mention several places with similar names, such as Grenefeld and Grenehull, which may have been the ancestral homes of some of the earliest bearers of the Greenleaf surname.

One notable early bearer of the surname was Sir Thomas Greenleaf, a English landowner and Member of Parliament for Lancashire in the late 16th century (c. 1545 - 1612). Another prominent figure was Reverend Jonathan Greenleaf (1590 - 1674), a Puritan minister who emigrated from England to Massachusetts Bay Colony in America and became one of the founders of the town of Newbury.

In the 17th century, Tristram Greenleaf (c. 1621 - 1704) was a prominent merchant and landowner in Boston, Massachusetts. His son, Stephen Greenleaf (1654 - 1737), was a judge and served as a member of the Governor's Council in the Province of Massachusetts Bay.

Another notable bearer of the Greenleaf surname was Jonathan Greenleaf (1785 - 1853), a successful businessman and philanthropist from Newburyport, Massachusetts, who donated significant funds towards the establishment of schools and libraries in his hometown.

These are just a few examples of individuals with the surname Greenleaf who have made their mark throughout history, highlighting the surname's longstanding presence and evolution across various regions and time periods.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Greenleaf

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

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

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

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