2000
#7,344
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,178
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.55
Rare Last name
Greeley
Derived from a place name meaning "grassy clearing" in Old English, referring to someone who lived near such a clearing.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,640 Americans carry the last name Greeley. That puts it at #7,865 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.35 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 73,869 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Greeley 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 Greeley with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.6K
1 in 73,869
Census rank
#7,865
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,046 bearers of the surname Greeley in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.35 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7865th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Greeley, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Greeley
The surname Greeley originates from England and dates back to the medieval era. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "grēne," meaning "green," and the suffix "-leah," meaning "a clearing in a forest or wood." The name was likely given to someone who lived near a green or grassy area within a wooded region.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Greeley can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Grenelei." This document, commissioned by William the Conqueror, was a comprehensive survey of landholdings in England.
During the 13th century, variations of the name such as "Greneley" and "Grenele" were documented in various counties across England, including Staffordshire, Oxfordshire, and Wiltshire. These spellings were likely influenced by local dialects and pronunciation variations.
In the 16th century, the surname was often associated with place names like Greenley or Greenleigh, which further reinforced its connection to green or grassy areas. One notable figure from this period was Sir Ralph Greenvill (1521-1592), an English naval commander and explorer who played a significant role in the early colonization efforts in the New World.
In the 17th century, the spelling "Greeley" became more prevalent, particularly in the northern regions of England. One prominent individual with this surname was Sir John Greeley (1607-1650), an English politician and military officer who served as a member of Parliament during the English Civil War.
During the 18th century, the Greeley surname spread across the British Empire, with individuals bearing this name settling in various colonies, including the American colonies. One notable figure from this era was Horace Greeley (1811-1872), an influential American newspaper editor, publisher, and politician who founded the New-York Tribune and ran for the presidency in 1872.
Other notable individuals with the surname Greeley include:
1. Andrew Greeley (1928-2013), an American Roman Catholic priest, sociologist, and author of numerous novels and non-fiction works.
2. Adolphus Washington Greeley (1844-1935), an American military officer who served in the Civil War and later became the Chief Signal Officer of the United States Army.
3. Evarts Bouton Greeley (1808-1849), an American explorer and cartographer who led several expeditions in the American West and mapped the Oregon Trail.
4. Horace Greeley Hjalmarson (1896-1983), an American politician who served as a U.S. Representative from Minnesota and later as the state's governor.
The surname Greeley has a rich history dating back to medieval England, with its origins rooted in the Old English language and reflecting the geographic features of the areas where it first emerged.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Greeley
Among Census respondents with the surname Greeley, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Greeley 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 Greeley surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.2% · 3,569
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 138
- Two or more races3.2% · 129
- Black or African American3.0% · 120
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.6% · 63
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 27
Timeline
Historical Census data for Greeley
Greeley 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
#7,796
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,246
+68 bearers (+1.6%)
Per 100,000 1.44
Rank movement Down 452 places
2020
#7,865
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,046
-200 bearers (-4.7%)
Per 100,000 1.35
Rank movement Down 69 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,344 | 4,178 | 1.55 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,796 | 4,246 | 1.44 | +68 bearers (+1.6%) | Down 452 places |
| 2020 | #7,865 | 4,046 | 1.35 | -200 bearers (-4.7%) | Down 69 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 Greeley 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 | #7,796 | #7,865 | -0.9% |
| Count | 4,246 | 4,046 | -4.7% |
| Per 100K | 1.44 | 1.35 | -6.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Greeley bearers went from 4,246 to 4,046 (-4.7% change). The surname moved down 69 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,796 to #7,865.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Greeley
FAQ
Greeley surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Greeley?
Name Census estimates that about 4,640 living Americans carry the surname Greeley. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 73,869 residents.
How common is Greeley?
Greeley ranks #7,865 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.35 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 4,046 people with the surname Greeley. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,640), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.35 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.35 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 Greeley.
Has Greeley become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Greeley went from 4,246 recorded bearers to 4,046. That is a decrease of 200 (-4.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,796 to #7,865.
What does the Census say about the background of Greeley?
Among Census respondents with the surname Greeley, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Greeley in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.2% (3,569 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Greeley appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.2%), Hispanic (3.4%), Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Greeley (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 Greeley mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "grassy clearing" in Old English, referring to someone who lived near such a clearing. 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 Greeley (1.35 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 common is the surname Greeley?
See how many Americans have the surname Greeley on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.