2000
#24,406
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 961
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.36
Rare Last name
Greenaway
A geographical surname indicating someone who lived by a green roadway or path.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,352 Americans carry the last name Greenaway. That puts it at #22,378 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.39 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 253,517 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Greenaway 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 Greenaway with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
1.4K
1 in 253,517
Census rank
#22,378
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,179 bearers of the surname Greenaway in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.39 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 22378th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Greenaway, the largest self-reported group is White at 55.1%. The next largest groups are Black (33.8%) and Two or More Races (5.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Greenaway
The surname Greenaway is of English origin and is believed to have originated in the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English words "grene" meaning green and "weg" meaning way or path, referring to a person who lived near a green path or road.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where a John de Grenewey is mentioned. The name was also recorded in various other medieval documents, such as the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327, where a William Greneway was listed.
During the medieval period, the name was often spelled in various ways, including Grenewaye, Greneway, and Greneweye, reflecting the inconsistencies in spelling conventions at the time. It is believed that the name was originally a descriptive surname given to individuals who lived near a green path or road.
The Greenaway surname is also associated with several place names in England, such as Greenaway Lane in Shropshire and Greenaway Farm in Gloucestershire. These place names may have influenced the development and spread of the surname in those areas.
One notable individual with the Greenaway surname was John Greenaway (1644-1678), an English artist and engraver known for his portraits and landscapes. Another significant figure was Katharine Greenaway (1846-1901), a renowned English writer and illustrator of children's books, famous for her illustrations in works like "Under the Window" and "Marigold Garden."
Other individuals of historical significance with the Greenaway surname include Robert Greenaway (1815-1899), an English architect who designed several prominent buildings in London, and Harry Greenaway (1884-1963), a British politician and member of parliament for Sunderland.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the surname Greenaway was also found in various parts of England, including Gloucestershire, Shropshire, and Worcestershire, indicating its widespread presence in those regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Greenaway
Among Census respondents with the surname Greenaway, the largest self-reported group is White at 55.1%. The next largest groups are Black (33.8%) and Two or More Races (5.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Greenaway 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 Greenaway surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White55.1% · 650
- Black or African American33.8% · 398
- Two or more races5.4% · 64
- Hispanic or Latino5.3% · 63
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Greenaway
Greenaway 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
#22,618
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,135
+174 bearers (+18.1%)
Per 100,000 0.38
Rank movement Up 1,788 places
2020
#22,378
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,179
+44 bearers (+3.9%)
Per 100,000 0.39
Rank movement Up 240 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #24,406 | 961 | 0.36 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #22,618 | 1,135 | 0.38 | +174 bearers (+18.1%) | Up 1,788 places |
| 2020 | #22,378 | 1,179 | 0.39 | +44 bearers (+3.9%) | Up 240 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 Greenaway 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 | #22,618 | #22,378 | 1.1% |
| Count | 1,135 | 1,179 | 3.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.38 | 0.39 | 3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Greenaway bearers went from 1,135 to 1,179 (+3.9% change). The surname moved up 240 positions in the national ranking, going from #22,618 to #22,378.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Greenaway
FAQ
Greenaway surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Greenaway?
Name Census estimates that about 1,352 living Americans carry the surname Greenaway. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 253,517 residents.
How common is Greenaway?
Greenaway ranks #22,378 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.39 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 1,179 people with the surname Greenaway. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,352), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.39 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.39 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 Greenaway.
Has Greenaway become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Greenaway went from 1,135 recorded bearers to 1,179. That is an increase of 44 (+3.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #22,618 to #22,378.
What does the Census say about the background of Greenaway?
Among Census respondents with the surname Greenaway, the largest self-reported group is White at 55.1%. The next largest groups are Black (33.8%) and Two or More Races (5.4%). 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 Greenaway in the 2020 Census, accounting for 55.1% (650 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Greenaway appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (55.1%), Black (33.8%), Two or More Races (5.4%). 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 Greenaway (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 Greenaway mean?
A geographical surname indicating someone who lived by a green roadway or path. 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 Greenaway (0.39 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 Greenaway?
Find out how many people are called Greenaway on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.