2000
#6,174
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,110
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.89
Rare Last name
Greenway
A topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a grassy path, road, or thoroughfare.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,371 Americans carry the last name Greenway. That puts it at #6,916 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.57 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 63,816 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Greenway 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 Greenway with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.4K
1 in 63,816
Census rank
#6,916
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,684 bearers of the surname Greenway in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.57 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6916th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Greenway, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Black (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Greenway
Among Census respondents with the surname Greenway, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Black (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Greenway 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 Greenway surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.0% · 4,170
- Two or more races3.7% · 173
- Black or African American3.5% · 166
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 127
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 27
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 21
Timeline
Historical Census data for Greenway
Greenway 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
#6,613
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,120
+10 bearers (+0.2%)
Per 100,000 1.74
Rank movement Down 439 places
2020
#6,916
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,684
-436 bearers (-8.5%)
Per 100,000 1.57
Rank movement Down 303 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,174 | 5,110 | 1.89 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,613 | 5,120 | 1.74 | +10 bearers (+0.2%) | Down 439 places |
| 2020 | #6,916 | 4,684 | 1.57 | -436 bearers (-8.5%) | Down 303 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 Greenway 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 | #6,613 | #6,916 | -4.6% |
| Count | 5,120 | 4,684 | -8.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.74 | 1.57 | -9.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Greenway bearers went from 5,120 to 4,684 (-8.5% change). The surname moved down 303 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,613 to #6,916.
FAQ
Greenway surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Greenway?
Name Census estimates that about 5,371 living Americans carry the surname Greenway. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 63,816 residents.
How common is Greenway?
Greenway ranks #6,916 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.57 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,684 people with the surname Greenway. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,371), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.57 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.57 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Greenway.
Has Greenway become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Greenway went from 5,120 recorded bearers to 4,684. That is a decrease of 436 (-8.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,613 to #6,916.
What does the Census say about the background of Greenway?
Among Census respondents with the surname Greenway, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Black (3.5%). 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 Greenway in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.0% (4,170 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Greenway appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.0%), Two or More Races (3.7%), Black (3.5%). 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 Greenway (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 Greenway mean?
A topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a grassy path, road, or thoroughfare. 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 Greenway (1.57 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 surname Greenway?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.