Greenough
A locational surname referring to someone from a green, hilly place.
According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,057 Americans carry the last name Greenough. That puts it at #16,343 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.60 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 166,628 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Greenough surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, 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.
Bearers in the US
2.1K
1 in 166,628
Census rank
#16,343
2010 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,763 bearers of the surname Greenough in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.60 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 16343rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Greenough, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (1.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Greenough
The surname GREENOUGH is of English origin and can be traced back to the late 12th century. It is derived from the Old English words "grene" meaning "green" and "hough" meaning "ridge" or "hill," suggesting that the name originally referred to someone who lived near a green hill or ridge.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the GREENOUGH name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1195, where a Roger de Grenehull is mentioned. This early spelling variation reflects the name's evolution over time.
In the 13th century, the GREENOUGH name appeared in various records, including the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, where a Robert de Grenehull is listed. This suggests that the name was well-established in different parts of England by this period.
The GREENOUGH surname is also closely tied to place names in England. For example, there is a village called Greenough in Northamptonshire, which likely contributed to the surname's origins and early use.
One notable early bearer of the GREENOUGH name was Sir Bevil Greenough (1596-1643), an English Civil War soldier who fought for King Charles I and was killed at the Battle of Lansdowne in Somerset.
In the 17th century, the GREENOUGH name gained prominence with the birth of Edward Greenough (1642-1737), a British politician and member of the Parliament of Great Britain for Launceston from 1708 to 1710.
Another significant figure was Horatio Greenough (1805-1852), an American sculptor and the first American to gain recognition as a sculptor abroad. He is best known for his marble statue "The Grecian Maiden" and the bust of John Adams.
In the 19th century, James Bradstreet Greenough (1833-1901) was a prominent American scholar and author who made significant contributions to the study of Latin grammar and composition.
One of the most famous bearers of the GREENOUGH name in the 20th century was Chester Noyes Greenough (1888-1976), an American psychiatrist and professor at Harvard Medical School, renowned for his work on personality disorders and psychoanalytic theory.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Greenough
Among Census respondents with the surname Greenough, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (1.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Greenough bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2010 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.
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 Greenough surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.5%
- Hispanic or Latino3.2%
- Two or more races1.4%
- Black or African American0.6%
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6%
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6%
Year on year
2000 vs 2010 Census
How has the Greenough surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
| Metric | 2000 | 2010 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #15,327 | #16,343 | -6.6% |
| Count | 1,760 | 1,763 | 0.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.65 | 0.60 | -7.7% |
Between the 2000 and 2010 Census, the number of Greenough bearers went from 1,760 to 1,763 (+0.2% change). The surname moved down 1,016 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,327 to #16,343.
FAQ
Greenough surname: questions and answers
How common is the last name Greenough?
The surname Greenough holds position #16,343 in the US Census Bureau's surname ranking, with an estimated 2,057 living bearers. It occurs at a rate of 0.60 per 100,000 Americans.
What is the ethnic background of the Greenough surname?
Among Census respondents with the surname Greenough, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (1.4%). These figures come from the 2010 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Where does this surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These tables list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2010 Census, along with a frequency rate and self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.