NameCensus.

UK surname

Greenberg

A surname of German and Jewish origin, referring to someone living near a green hill or mountain.

In the 1881 census there were 129 people recorded with the Greenberg surname, ranking it #17,013 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 416, ranked #11,533, up from #17,013 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Christ Church Spitalfields, St Mary Whitechapel and Govan Combination. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Barnet, Bury and Salford.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Greenberg is 1,038 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 222.5%.

1881 census count

129

Ranked #17,013

Modern count

416

2016, ranked #11,533

Peak year

1911

1,038 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Greenberg had 129 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #17,013 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 416 in 2016, ranked #11,533.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,038 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Outer Suburbs.

Greenberg surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Greenberg surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Greenberg 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 9 #31,675
1861 historical 9 #32,724
1881 historical 129 #17,013
1891 historical 259 #12,399
1901 historical 862 #5,308
1911 historical 1,038 #4,426
1997 modern 420 #10,608
1998 modern 427 #10,825
1999 modern 420 #11,035
2000 modern 415 #11,109
2001 modern 401 #11,214
2002 modern 404 #11,353
2003 modern 423 #10,805
2004 modern 419 #10,903
2005 modern 415 #10,878
2006 modern 433 #10,564
2007 modern 426 #10,809
2008 modern 424 #10,952
2009 modern 445 #10,780
2010 modern 458 #10,756
2011 modern 469 #10,444
2012 modern 434 #10,977
2013 modern 432 #11,210
2014 modern 425 #11,432
2015 modern 410 #11,686
2016 modern 416 #11,533

Geography

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Where Greenbergs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Christ Church Spitalfields, St Mary Whitechapel, Govan Combination, Manchester and West Derby. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Barnet, Bury and Salford. 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 Christ Church Spitalfields London (East Districts)
2 St Mary Whitechapel London (East Districts)
3 Govan Combination Lanark
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 West Derby Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Barnet 032 Barnet
2 Bury 026 Bury
3 Salford 011 Salford
4 Barnet 025 Barnet
5 Barnet 009 Barnet

Forenames

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First names often paired with Greenberg

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Greenberg

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Greenberg, 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

Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals

Group

Outer Suburbs

Nationally, the Greenberg surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Outer Suburbs, within Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals. This does not mean every Greenberg household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods are found on the outer edges of many towns and cities. Many residents were born outside the UK. Indian ethnic group representation is high. There are high numbers of families with dependent children aged 5 to 14. Incidences of disability and of provision of unpaid care are low. Neighbourhoods provide a mix of detached housing and flats, and terraced housing is not uncommon. Levels of overcrowding are low and homeownership rates are high. Professional and managerial occupations are prevalent: unemployment is low and education to degree level is the norm.

Wider pattern

Those working within the managerial, professional and administrative occupations typically reflect a wide range of ethnic groups, and reside in detached or semi-detached housing. Their residential locations at the edges of cities and conurbations and car-based lifestyles are more characteristic of Supergroup membership than birthplace or participation in child-rearing. Houses are typically owner-occupied and marriage rates are lower than the national average. This Supergroup is found throughout suburban UK.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Greenberg is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

These neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Greenberg is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

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

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Greenberg falls in decile 8 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Greenberg is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Other

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

Meaning and origin of Greenberg

The surname Greenberg is of Ashkenazi Jewish origin, derived from the Yiddish word "grinen" meaning "green," and the German suffix "-berg" meaning "mountain" or "hill." It is believed to have originated in the 16th century in Central or Eastern Europe, likely in areas such as Germany, Poland, or Russia.

The earliest known recorded instance of the surname Greenberg dates back to the late 17th century, when it appeared in various records and documents from communities in the Pale of Settlement, a region in the Russian Empire where Jewish settlement was permitted. The name may have initially referred to someone who lived on or near a green hill or mountain.

One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname Greenberg was Rabbi Yitzchak Greenberg, a prominent Talmudic scholar who lived in the late 17th century and authored several influential works on Jewish law and ethics. Another early figure was the Polish-Jewish merchant and philanthropist, Moshe Greenberg, who lived in the 18th century and was known for his support of Jewish educational institutions.

In the 19th century, the Greenberg surname began to spread more widely as Jewish communities migrated westward from Eastern Europe. One notable bearer was the German-Jewish philosopher and writer, Moses Greenberg (1828-1911), who wrote extensively on the relationship between Judaism and modernity.

As the 20th century arrived, the Greenberg name became well-established in various parts of the world. Notable individuals included the American writer and literary critic, Clement Greenberg (1909-1994), who championed the abstract expressionist movement in art, and Herschel Greenberg (1895-1964), a Canadian businessman and philanthropist who co-founded the Canadian Jewish Congress.

Other prominent figures with the Greenberg surname include the American legal scholar and political theorist, Mark Greenberg (born 1958), and the Israeli physicist and Nobel laureate, David Greenberg (1909-2004), who made significant contributions to the study of subatomic particles.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Greenberg families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Greenberg 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 60 Greenbergs recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.77x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 60 4.77x
Lancashire 20 1.34x
Warwickshire 16 5.04x
Northumberland 12 6.41x
Yorkshire 9 0.72x
Durham 6 1.60x
Staffordshire 6 1.41x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Whitechapel London in Middlesex leads with 21 Greenbergs recorded in 1881 and an index of 169.35x.

Place Total Index
Whitechapel London 21 169.35x
Spitalfields London 17 179.70x
Birmingham 16 15.13x
Manchester 14 20.85x
Leeds 9 12.78x
St Bartholomew Less 8 1230.77x
Cheetham 6 53.86x
Elswick 6 40.16x
Stranton 6 47.62x
Westgate 6 51.77x
Wolverhampton 6 18.37x
Old Artillery Ground 5 462.96x
Mile End Old Town London 4 14.94x
St Botolph Aldgate London 3 115.83x
Mile End New Town London 2 80.32x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Sarah 7
Esther 5
Rebecca 4
Annie 3
Fanny 3
Rachael 3
Jane 2
Leah 2
Rachel 2
Beila 1
Bertha 1
Betsy 1
Burtha 1
Clara 1
Edith 1
Ester 1
Etty 1
Figel 1
Florence 1
Gertrude 1
Hanh. 1
Hannah 1
Jenny 1
Kate 1
Laura 1
Maggie 1
Mary 1
Matilda 1
Minnie 1
Miriam 1
Rebbecca 1
Rosa 1
Rose 1
Rosetta 1
Toby 1
Yetta 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Abraham 5
David 5
Harris 5
Isaac 4
Jacob 4
Samuel 4
Max 3
Morris 3
Solomon 3
Elias 2
Lewis 2
Marcus 2
Moses 2
Albert 1
Alexander 1
Alfred 1
Barnet 1
Barnett 1
Benjamin 1
Ellis 1
Emanuel 1
Harry 1
Henry 1
Israel 1
J.S. 1
Joseph 1
Lazuras 1
Leopold 1
Lionel 1
Louis 1
Mark 1
Marko 1
Nathan 1
Noah 1
Simon 1
Sol. 1
Soloman 1
Woolf 1
Zeivel 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Greenberg households.

FAQ

Greenberg surname: questions and answers

How common was the Greenberg surname in 1881?

In 1881, 129 people were recorded with the Greenberg surname. That placed it at #17,013 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Greenberg surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 416 in 2016. That gives Greenberg a modern rank of #11,533.

What does the Greenberg surname mean?

A surname of German and Jewish origin, referring to someone living near a green hill or mountain.

What does the Greenberg map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Greenberg 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.