2000
#228
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119,604
First available Census row
Per 100,000 44.34
Common Last name
Greene
A descriptive surname referring to someone who lived near a grassy area or village green.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 140,859 Americans carry the last name Greene. That puts it at #248 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 41.10 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,433 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Greene 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 Greene with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
141K
1 in 2,433
Census rank
#248
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
41.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
123K
common in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 122,836 bearers of the surname Greene in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 41.10 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 248th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Greene, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.0%. The next largest groups are Black (25.9%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Greene
The surname Greene has its origins in England, tracing back to the 13th century. It is believed to be a topographic name, derived from the Old English word "grene," which means green or a village green. The name was likely given to someone who lived near a green or a grassy area.
The earliest recorded instance of the surname Greene can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire, dated 1273, which mentions a person named John del Grene. The Domesday Book of 1086 also includes several references to places with names containing the word "grene," such as Grenehille and Grenestede.
In the 14th century, the name appeared in various forms, including Grene, Gren, and Grenne. Some notable examples from this period include Walter Grene, a member of Parliament in 1376, and John Grene, a scholar and theologian who lived in the late 14th century.
During the 15th and 16th centuries, the surname Greene became more widely distributed across England. One of the earliest recorded instances of the modern spelling is that of Thomas Greene, a merchant from London, who was mentioned in tax records in 1483.
The Greene family has a long and distinguished history, with several notable members. One of the most famous was Robert Greene (1558-1592), an English playwright, poet, and writer of prose fiction, who was a contemporary of William Shakespeare. Another notable figure was Nathanael Greene (1742-1786), a major general in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War, known for his successful campaign in the Southern states.
Other notable individuals with the surname Greene include Graham Greene (1904-1991), an English novelist and author of works such as "The Power and the Glory" and "The Quiet American," and Charles Greene (1945-), an American architect known for his work in sustainable and environmentally conscious design.
The name Greene has also been associated with several place names in England, such as Greene's Norton in Northamptonshire and Greenway in Devon, which may have derived their names from individuals with the surname or from the geographical features of the area.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Greene
Among Census respondents with the surname Greene, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.0%. The next largest groups are Black (25.9%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Greene 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 Greene surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White65.0% · 79,868
- Black or African American25.9% · 31,789
- Two or more races4.5% · 5,491
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 4,050
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 842
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 796
Timeline
Historical Census data for Greene
Greene 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
#241
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 126,101
+6,497 bearers (+5.4%)
Per 100,000 42.75
Rank movement Down 13 places
2020
#248
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122,836
-3,265 bearers (-2.6%)
Per 100,000 41.10
Rank movement Down 7 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #228 | 119,604 | 44.34 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #241 | 126,101 | 42.75 | +6,497 bearers (+5.4%) | Down 13 places |
| 2020 | #248 | 122,836 | 41.10 | -3,265 bearers (-2.6%) | Down 7 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 Greene 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 | #241 | #248 | -2.9% |
| Count | 126,101 | 122,836 | -2.6% |
| Per 100K | 42.75 | 41.10 | -3.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Greene bearers went from 126,101 to 122,836 (-2.6% change). The surname moved down 7 positions in the national ranking, going from #241 to #248.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Greene
FAQ
Greene surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Greene?
Name Census estimates that about 140,859 living Americans carry the surname Greene. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,433 residents.
How common is Greene?
Greene ranks #248 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Common." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 41.10 per 100,000 residents, which is about 41 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 122,836 people with the surname Greene. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (140,859), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 41.1 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 41.10 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 41 of them to have the surname Greene.
Has Greene become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Greene went from 126,101 recorded bearers to 122,836. That is a decrease of 3,265 (-2.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #241 to #248.
What does the Census say about the background of Greene?
Among Census respondents with the surname Greene, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.0%. The next largest groups are Black (25.9%) and Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Greene in the 2020 Census, accounting for 65.0% (79,868 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Greene appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (65.0%), Black (25.9%), Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Greene (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 Greene mean?
A descriptive surname referring to someone who lived near a grassy area or village green. 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 Greene (41.10 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 share the surname Greene?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.