2010
#154,907
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Greensides
A habitational surname referring to someone living near a verdant, grassy area.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Greensides. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Greensides 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 Greensides with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Greensides in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Greensides, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Greensides
The surname Greensides originated in England, specifically in the northern counties of Yorkshire and Lancashire, during the late medieval period around the 13th or 14th century. It is believed to be a descriptive nickname derived from the Old English words "grene," meaning green, and "side," referring to a hillside or slope.
The earliest known record of the name Greensides dates back to the 14th century, appearing in various tax rolls and court records. One notable reference is found in the "Boke of Nurture," a Middle English etiquette book written in the 15th century, where a character named John Greensides is mentioned.
In the 16th century, several variations of the spelling emerged, including Greensyde, Greneside, and Grensyde. These variations likely reflect regional dialects and phonetic spellings common during that time period.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Greensides was William Greensides, born around 1520 in Lancashire. He was a landowner and farmer known for his contributions to the local community.
Another notable figure was Robert Greensides, born in 1612 in Yorkshire. He was a successful merchant and trader who established a prosperous business exporting wool and textiles to continental Europe.
In the 18th century, the name gained prominence with the birth of John Greensides (1718-1795), a renowned scholar and theologian who served as the rector of a prestigious college in Cambridge.
The 19th century saw the emergence of Mary Greensides (1832-1912), a pioneering educator and advocate for women's rights. She founded several schools in northern England and played a significant role in promoting equal opportunities for education.
Lastly, a more recent figure was the historian and author, Edward Greensides (1901-1982), whose works focused on the social and cultural history of northern England during the Industrial Revolution.
It is worth noting that the name Greensides has also been associated with certain place names in England, such as Greensides Farm in Yorkshire and Greensides Lane in Lancashire, further reinforcing its connection to the region's geography and landscape.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Greensides
Among Census respondents with the surname Greensides, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Greensides 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 Greensides surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.5% · 100
- Hispanic or Latino6.5% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Greensides
Greensides appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
+2 bearers (+1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 3,268 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #154,907 | 105 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.9%) | Up 3,268 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 Greensides 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 | #154,907 | #151,639 | 2.1% |
| Count | 105 | 107 | 1.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Greensides bearers went from 105 to 107 (+1.9% change). The surname moved up 3,268 positions in the national ranking, going from #154,907 to #151,639.
FAQ
Greensides surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Greensides?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Greensides. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Greensides?
Greensides ranks #151,639 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 107 people with the surname Greensides. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Greensides.
Has Greensides become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Greensides went from 105 recorded bearers to 107. That is an increase of 2 (+1.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #154,907 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Greensides?
Among Census respondents with the surname Greensides, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.5%). 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 Greensides in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.5% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Greensides appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.5%), Hispanic (6.5%). 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 Greensides (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 Greensides mean?
A habitational surname referring to someone living near a verdant, grassy area. 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 Greensides (0.04 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 Greensides?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Greensides, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.