NameCensus.

UK surname

Greenaway

A geographical surname indicating someone who lived by a green roadway or path.

In the 1881 census there were 1,881 people recorded with the Greenaway surname, ranking it #2,318 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,910, ranked #1,730, up from #2,318 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Sedgley, Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff and Swindon, Lyddington. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cornwall, South Oxfordshire and Dudley.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Greenaway is 4,129 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 107.9%.

1881 census count

1,881

Ranked #2,318

Modern count

3,910

2016, ranked #1,730

Peak year

2010

4,129 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Greenaway had 1,881 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,318 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,910 in 2016, ranked #1,730.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,423 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Greenaway surname distribution map

The map shows where the Greenaway surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Greenaway surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Greenaway over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 1,136 #2,480
1861 historical 1,015 #2,759
1881 historical 1,881 #2,318
1891 historical 1,992 #2,313
1901 historical 2,316 #2,348
1911 historical 2,423 #2,116
1997 modern 3,790 #1,713
1998 modern 4,056 #1,667
1999 modern 4,078 #1,664
2000 modern 4,050 #1,670
2001 modern 3,969 #1,667
2002 modern 4,057 #1,665
2003 modern 3,980 #1,660
2004 modern 3,976 #1,664
2005 modern 3,846 #1,695
2006 modern 3,882 #1,679
2007 modern 3,935 #1,676
2008 modern 3,951 #1,676
2009 modern 4,071 #1,667
2010 modern 4,129 #1,681
2011 modern 4,059 #1,689
2012 modern 3,966 #1,698
2013 modern 4,014 #1,708
2014 modern 4,030 #1,713
2015 modern 3,969 #1,715
2016 modern 3,910 #1,730

Geography

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Where Greenaways are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Sedgley, Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Swindon, Lyddington and London parishes. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cornwall, South Oxfordshire, Dudley and Torridge. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Sedgley Staffordshire
2 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
3 Swindon, Lyddington Wiltshire
4 London parishes London 1
5 London parishes London 3

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cornwall 014 Cornwall
2 South Oxfordshire 006 South Oxfordshire
3 Cornwall 011 Cornwall
4 Dudley 008 Dudley
5 Torridge 008 Torridge

Forenames

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First names often paired with Greenaway

These lists show first names that appear often with the Greenaway surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Greenaway

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Greenaway, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Greenaway surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Greenaway household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Greenaway is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Greenaway is most concentrated in decile 5 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Greenaway falls in decile 4 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Greenaway is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Greenaway, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

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.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Greenaway families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Greenaway surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 255 Greenaways recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.39x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 255 1.39x
Berkshire 182 13.23x
Kent 182 2.91x
Wiltshire 181 11.17x
Surrey 175 1.96x
Gloucestershire 139 3.87x
Oxfordshire 134 11.84x
Cornwall 124 5.98x
Staffordshire 68 1.10x
Hampshire 58 1.54x
Devon 46 1.21x
Essex 46 1.27x
Buckinghamshire 44 3.97x
Sussex 33 1.07x
Lanarkshire 26 0.44x
Monmouthshire 18 1.36x
Warwickshire 17 0.37x
Somerset 15 0.51x
Herefordshire 14 1.86x
Hertfordshire 12 0.95x
Midlothian 11 0.45x
Worcestershire 11 0.46x
Renfrewshire 10 0.70x
Yorkshire 10 0.06x
Glamorgan 9 0.28x
Lancashire 8 0.04x
Stirlingshire 8 1.18x
Bedfordshire 5 0.53x
Leicestershire 5 0.25x
Lincolnshire 5 0.17x
Derbyshire 4 0.14x
Durham 4 0.07x
Cumberland 3 0.19x
Angus 2 0.12x
Dorset 2 0.17x
Huntingdonshire 2 0.55x
Nottinghamshire 2 0.08x
Brecknockshire 1 0.27x
Buteshire 1 0.90x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.09x
Norfolk 1 0.04x
Northamptonshire 1 0.06x
Northumberland 1 0.04x
Perthshire 1 0.12x
Royal Navy 1 0.46x
Suffolk 1 0.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Deptford St Paul in Kent leads with 53 Greenaways recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.99x.

Place Total Index
Deptford St Paul 53 10.99x
Sedgley 47 20.45x
Camberwell 37 3.16x
Islington London 32 1.80x
Handborough 31 509.87x
Swindon 30 23.86x
Bromley 28 29.37x
Dorchester 27 424.53x
Bermondsey 26 4.76x
St Breward 26 570.18x
Stratton St Margaret 25 100.56x
Reading St Giles 24 17.78x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 22 6.50x
Greenwich 22 7.54x
Upton Cum Chalvey 22 49.82x
Mitcham 21 37.20x
Kensington London 20 1.96x
Lewisham 20 6.00x
Paddington London 19 2.82x
Lingfield 18 103.45x
Preshute 18 180.54x
Purton 18 124.83x
Reading St Mary 17 15.43x
West Ham 17 2.13x
Kilkhampton 16 261.44x
Hammersmith London 15 3.32x
Limehouse London 15 7.45x
Liddiard Millicent 14 251.35x
Poplar London 14 4.05x
St Gennys 14 453.07x
Bitton 13 41.55x
Blunsdon St Andrew 13 2241.38x
Staines 13 44.80x
Chipping Sodbury 12 179.10x
Harrow On The Hill 12 32.77x
Westbury On Severn East 12 14.77x
Fulham London 11 4.14x
Oxford St Clement 11 38.50x
Steventon 11 189.66x
Abbey 10 4.61x
Aberystruth 10 8.56x
Ashchurch 10 238.10x
Bledlow 10 149.03x
Charlton Next Woolwich 10 15.33x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 10 1.01x
Orsett 10 105.93x
Sutton 10 15.48x
Calne 9 26.97x
Cookham 9 20.98x
Exeter St Sidwell 9 10.30x
Hackney London 9 0.88x
Mortimer West End 9 373.44x
Poundstock 9 274.39x
S Stoke 9 169.81x
Standlake 9 202.70x
Stratton 9 79.93x
Cirencester 8 16.44x
Coventry Holy Trinity 8 5.80x
Croydon 8 1.61x
Edmonton 8 5.42x
Falkirk 8 5.06x
Hampstead Norris 8 92.49x
Leamington Priors 8 7.03x
Liskeard 8 23.04x
Maidstone 8 4.29x
Southampton St Mary 8 3.39x
St George Hanover Square 8 2.48x
Stanwell 8 59.00x
Wargrave 8 67.68x
Wraysbury 8 193.70x
Beedon 7 344.83x
Buscot 7 300.43x
Hamilton 7 4.23x
Harrow 7 24.99x
Harwell 7 137.80x
Marhamchurch 7 207.10x
Oving 7 67.05x
Roel 7 3500.00x
Widford 7 218.07x
Wolstanton Ranscliffe 7 322.58x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Greenaway surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 90
Elizabeth 83
Sarah 70
Eliza 39
Ann 38
Ellen 35
Alice 31
Emily 30
Jane 29
Emma 25
Annie 20
Edith 19
Charlotte 18
Martha 16
Fanny 14
Ada 13
Harriet 13
Caroline 12
Maria 12
Catherine 11
Florence 11
Hannah 11
Louisa 10
Rose 10
Ethel 9
Susan 9
Amy 8
Anne 8
Esther 8
Kate 8
Lucy 8
Margaret 8
Agnes 7
Elizth. 7
Matilda 7
Clara 6
Harriett 6
Jessie 6
Julia 6
Amelia 5
Eva 4
Minnie 4
Rebecca 4
Rosa 4
Sophia 4
Bessie 3
Cecilia 3
Lizzie 3
Lydia 3
Maud 3

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Greenaway surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
William 107
John 81
George 77
James 62
Thomas 58
Henry 41
Charles 40
Joseph 29
Alfred 28
Edward 24
Frederick 22
Richard 22
Arthur 20
Walter 16
Albert 15
Samuel 12
Daniel 11
Ernest 10
Edwin 9
Robert 9
Benjamin 8
Frank 8
Harry 8
Herbert 7
Wm. 6
David 5
Francis 5
Isaac 5
Stephen 5
Thos. 5
Josiah 4
Fredrick 3
Percy 3
Philip 3
Robt. 3
Christopher 2
Edmund 2
Edwd. 2
Elias 2
Fredk. 2
Geo. 2
Javan 2
Jeremiah 2
Jesse 2
Leonard 2
Peter 2
Reuben 2
Sidney 2
Willm. 2
Bertram 1

FAQ

Greenaway surname: questions and answers

How common was the Greenaway surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,881 people were recorded with the Greenaway surname. That placed it at #2,318 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Greenaway surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,910 in 2016. That gives Greenaway a modern rank of #1,730.

What does the Greenaway surname mean?

A geographical surname indicating someone who lived by a green roadway or path.

What does the Greenaway map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Greenaway bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.