2000
#11,587
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,486
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.92
Rare Last name
Greenman
A surname referring to a person who is inexperienced, or one who managed or worked in woodlands or forests.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,713 Americans carry the last name Greenman. That puts it at #12,508 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.79 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 126,338 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Greenman 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 Greenman with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.7K
1 in 126,338
Census rank
#12,508
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,366 bearers of the surname Greenman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.79 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12508th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Greenman, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and Hispanic (2.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Greenman
The surname Greenman is of English origin, emerging in the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English words "grene" meaning green and "mann" meaning man, likely referring to someone who lived near a green or a forested area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Greenman can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1166, where a William Greneman is mentioned. The name also appears in various forms such as Greneman, Grenemannus, and Grenmon in various medieval records and charters from across England.
During the 13th century, the surname Greenman was particularly prevalent in the counties of Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Norfolk. Place names like Greenham in Berkshire and Greenholme in Yorkshire may have influenced the development of the surname in those regions.
A notable early bearer of the name was John Greenman, a wealthy landowner from Nottinghamshire who lived in the late 14th century. He is mentioned in several land records and legal documents from the period.
In the 16th century, the surname Greenman was well-established across England. Thomas Greenman (c.1500-1580) was a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of Bristol, known for his philanthropic efforts and involvement in local governance.
During the English Civil War in the 17th century, Captain William Greenman (1610-1676) fought for the Parliamentarian forces under Oliver Cromwell. He was later appointed as a commissioner for the trial of King Charles I.
Another noteworthy figure was Edward Greenman (1722-1798), an English clergyman and author who served as the rector of Radwinter in Essex. He published several religious works and sermons during his lifetime.
In the 19th century, Henry Greenman (1810-1892) was a prominent architect who designed several churches and public buildings in the Gothic Revival style across southern England.
While the surname Greenman is not among the most common in the English-speaking world, it has a rich history dating back to the medieval period, with various notable bearers contributing to various fields over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Greenman
Among Census respondents with the surname Greenman, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and Hispanic (2.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Greenman 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 Greenman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.1% · 2,180
- Two or more races3.0% · 72
- Hispanic or Latino2.2% · 53
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.6% · 38
- Black or African American0.7% · 16
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Greenman
Greenman 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
#12,025
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,596
+110 bearers (+4.4%)
Per 100,000 0.88
Rank movement Down 438 places
2020
#12,508
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,366
-230 bearers (-8.9%)
Per 100,000 0.79
Rank movement Down 483 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,587 | 2,486 | 0.92 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,025 | 2,596 | 0.88 | +110 bearers (+4.4%) | Down 438 places |
| 2020 | #12,508 | 2,366 | 0.79 | -230 bearers (-8.9%) | Down 483 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 Greenman 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 | #12,025 | #12,508 | -4.0% |
| Count | 2,596 | 2,366 | -8.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.88 | 0.79 | -10.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Greenman bearers went from 2,596 to 2,366 (-8.9% change). The surname moved down 483 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,025 to #12,508.
FAQ
Greenman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Greenman?
Name Census estimates that about 2,713 living Americans carry the surname Greenman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 126,338 residents.
How common is Greenman?
Greenman ranks #12,508 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.79 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 2,366 people with the surname Greenman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,713), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.79 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.79 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 Greenman.
Has Greenman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Greenman went from 2,596 recorded bearers to 2,366. That is a decrease of 230 (-8.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,025 to #12,508.
What does the Census say about the background of Greenman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Greenman, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and Hispanic (2.2%). 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 Greenman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.1% (2,180 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Greenman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.1%), Two or More Races (3.0%), Hispanic (2.2%). 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 Greenman (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 Greenman mean?
A surname referring to a person who is inexperienced, or one who managed or worked in woodlands or forests. 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 Greenman (0.79 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 many people have the last name Greenman?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Greenman on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.