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

Greenway, 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 Greenway surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Greenway in America

Greenway is the 6613th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Greenway surname appeared 5,120 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Greenway.

We can also compare 2010 data for Greenway 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 Greenway

The surname "GREENWAY" is of English origin, tracing its roots back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old English words "grene" and "weg," meaning "green" and "way" respectively, likely referring to a path or road through a verdant area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1279, where a Roger de Grenewey is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already in use by the late 13th century.

In the 14th century, the name is found in various forms, such as "Greneweye" and "Grenewaye," in records from counties like Somerset and Gloucestershire. This variation in spelling was common in those times due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions.

The name "GREENWAY" may also have been influenced by the many place names that incorporated the word "green," like Greenway in Hertfordshire or Greenway in Devon. It's possible that the surname originated from these locations, indicating an individual's place of residence or origin.

One notable historical figure bearing the surname was Caleb Greenway (c. 1605-1677), an English clergyman and scholar who served as the Archdeacon of Bath. He is remembered for his contributions to the field of education and his writings on religious subjects.

Another prominent individual was Richard Greenway (1798-1854), a British architect responsible for designing several notable buildings in London, including the Old Paddington Green Courthouse and the Gloucester Terrace in Bayswater.

In the 19th century, John Greenway (1816-1893) was a prominent English landscape painter known for his depictions of the countryside and rural scenes. His works were exhibited at the Royal Academy and other prestigious galleries during his lifetime.

Edward Greenway (1737-1819) was a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the American Revolutionary War and the French Revolutionary Wars. He gained recognition for his bravery and leadership in several naval engagements.

The name "GREENWAY" also has a connection to the United States, with Olive Ann Greenway (1833-1904) being an American educator and pioneer in the field of special education for children with disabilities. She founded the Greenway Institute in Philadelphia, which played a significant role in advancing educational opportunities for students with special needs.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Greenway

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!