NameCensus.

UK surname

Greener

A surname derived from the Old English "grene," referring to someone living near a green or open space.

In the 1881 census there were 871 people recorded with the Greener surname, ranking it #4,351 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,498, ranked #4,131, up from #4,351 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, London parishes and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include County Durham and Gateshead.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Greener is 1,614 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 72.0%.

1881 census count

871

Ranked #4,351

Modern count

1,498

2016, ranked #4,131

Peak year

1999

1,614 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Greener had 871 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,351 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,498 in 2016, ranked #4,131.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,461 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Greener surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Greener surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Greener 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 555 #4,565
1861 historical 582 #4,530
1881 historical 871 #4,351
1891 historical 1,132 #3,757
1901 historical 1,335 #3,749
1911 historical 1,461 #3,301
1997 modern 1,557 #3,788
1998 modern 1,613 #3,815
1999 modern 1,614 #3,840
2000 modern 1,595 #3,868
2001 modern 1,556 #3,880
2002 modern 1,598 #3,857
2003 modern 1,522 #3,948
2004 modern 1,548 #3,888
2005 modern 1,521 #3,904
2006 modern 1,513 #3,941
2007 modern 1,517 #3,960
2008 modern 1,516 #3,985
2009 modern 1,568 #3,948
2010 modern 1,608 #3,940
2011 modern 1,584 #3,946
2012 modern 1,555 #3,949
2013 modern 1,556 #4,012
2014 modern 1,580 #3,983
2015 modern 1,540 #4,028
2016 modern 1,498 #4,131

Geography

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Where Greeners are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, London parishes, Gateshead and Ryton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to County Durham and Gateshead. 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 Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside Durham
2 London parishes London 3
3 Gateshead Durham
4 Ryton Durham
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 County Durham 006 County Durham
2 County Durham 009 County Durham
3 Gateshead 004 Gateshead
4 County Durham 040 County Durham
5 Gateshead 001 Gateshead

Forenames

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First names often paired with Greener

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Greener

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Young Families in Industrial Towns

Nationally, the Greener surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Greener 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 house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Greener is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Mainly concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Greener is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Greener falls in decile 2 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Greener 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 Greener, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Greener

The surname "GREENER" is of English origin and dates back to the late 12th century. It is derived from the Old English word "grene," meaning "green" or "verdant." The name likely originated as a descriptive nickname for someone who lived near a green area or worked as a gardener or groundskeeper.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1191, which mention a William le Grenere. The Pipe Rolls were financial records kept by the English Exchequer, and the inclusion of this name suggests that the Greener family had established themselves in the region by that time.

In the 13th century, the name appears in various forms, such as "Grenere," "Grener," and "Grennour," reflecting the natural evolution of language and spelling over time. The Hundred Rolls of 1273, a census-like survey conducted in England, lists several individuals with the surname, including Robert le Grener in Cambridgeshire and Richard le Grenour in Oxfordshire.

During the medieval period, the Greener name was also associated with certain place names. For instance, the Greener family was recorded in the village of Greneborough (now Greenborough) in Buckinghamshire, and the nearby Greneworth (now Grendon Underwood) may have been another location where the family resided.

One notable figure with the Greener surname was John Greener (c. 1520-1564), a prominent English Protestant reformer and writer who was heavily involved in the religious upheavals of the 16th century. Another historical figure was William Greener (1806-1869), a renowned English gunsmith and inventor of several significant improvements to firearms.

Other individuals of note include Thomas Greener (1684-1738), an English clergyman and author; James Greener (1777-1839), a Scottish agriculturist and writer on rural affairs; and Richard Greener (1844-1922), a pioneering African American academic who became the first black graduate of Harvard College.

Throughout the centuries, the Greener surname has maintained a strong presence in various parts of England, particularly in the counties of Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, and Buckinghamshire, where the earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Greener families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Greener 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. Durham leads with 391 Greeners recorded in 1881 and an index of 15.45x.

County Total Index
Durham 391 15.45x
Northumberland 163 12.88x
Lancashire 72 0.71x
Middlesex 42 0.49x
Surrey 37 0.89x
Yorkshire 37 0.44x
Kent 32 1.10x
Berkshire 25 3.92x
Essex 10 0.60x
Glamorgan 10 0.68x
Warwickshire 10 0.47x
Staffordshire 9 0.31x
Sussex 7 0.49x
Hampshire 6 0.34x
Brecknockshire 4 2.35x
Gloucestershire 3 0.18x
Northamptonshire 3 0.38x
Buckinghamshire 2 0.39x
Cheshire 2 0.11x
Cumberland 2 0.27x
Derbyshire 1 0.08x
Devon 1 0.06x
Lincolnshire 1 0.07x
Oxfordshire 1 0.19x
Renfrewshire 1 0.15x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Gateshead in Durham leads with 36 Greeners recorded in 1881 and an index of 19.00x.

Place Total Index
Gateshead 36 19.00x
Tanfield 32 106.35x
Greencroft 25 538.79x
Dawdon 23 73.88x
Prudhoe 23 261.36x
Ryton Woodside 23 730.16x
Bishopwearmouth 22 10.13x
Usworth 22 163.69x
Winlaton 22 90.61x
Westoe 21 14.64x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 20 26.46x
Cowpen 17 58.34x
Deptford St Paul 16 7.15x
Seaton Delaval 15 135.01x
Coxlodge 14 145.53x
Eccleston In Prescot 14 27.63x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 14 12.77x
Horton 14 224.00x
Clewer 13 49.69x
Stella 13 599.08x
Aston 10 1.69x
Heworth 10 20.05x
Whitburn 10 169.49x
Wingate 10 57.64x
Lambeth 9 1.21x
Newcastle On Tyne St 9 13.72x
Battersea 8 2.56x
Camberwell 8 1.47x
Manchester 8 1.76x
Newington 8 34.47x
West Ham 8 2.16x
Whitby 8 28.16x
Ardwick 7 7.69x
Byker 7 11.19x
Deptford St Nicholas 7 30.40x
Elswick 7 6.93x
Ryton 7 78.74x
St Pancras London 7 1.02x
Chertsey 6 22.40x
Esh 6 32.57x
Iveston 6 51.46x
Kensington London 6 1.27x
Lathom 6 49.22x
Pelton 6 49.83x
Shoreditch London 6 1.63x
South Shields 6 26.62x
Auckland St Andrew 5 74.85x
Broomhaugh 5 769.23x
Broomley 5 442.48x
Broughton In Salford 5 5.42x
Collierley 5 44.37x
Eastbourne 5 7.58x
Huddersfield 5 4.07x
Kyo 5 41.98x
Liverpool 5 0.82x
Loughor 5 63.61x
Middlesbrough 5 4.56x
Monk Hesleden 5 70.92x
Odiham 5 65.36x
Paddington London 5 1.60x
Pittington 5 70.22x
Shadforth 5 101.83x
Thornton In Bradford 5 17.82x
Toxteth Park 5 1.46x
Whickham 5 21.48x
Hackney London 4 0.84x
Hedley 4 714.29x
Helmington Row 4 33.93x
Llanelly 4 19.66x
Madeley 4 55.87x
Merthyr Tydfil 4 2.81x
Pemberton 4 9.94x
Salford 4 1.35x
Tudhoe 4 18.07x
West Derby 4 1.35x
Westgate 4 5.10x
Wonersh 4 77.37x
Chirton 3 10.47x
Kingswinford 3 2.88x
Medomsley 3 25.42x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 72
Elizabeth 39
Margaret 37
Jane 33
Ann 24
Isabella 17
Sarah 16
Hannah 15
Ellen 10
Annie 8
Barbara 7
Eleanor 6
Ada 5
Catherine 5
Dorothy 5
Martha 5
Eliza 4
Rose 4
Alice 3
Anne 3
Edith 3
Elizth. 3
Emily 3
Ethel 3
Florence 3
Frances 3
Kate 3
Louisa 3
Maria 3
May 3
Rebecca 3
Caroline 2
Emma 2
Georgina 2
Harriet 2
Isabel 2
Jennet 2
M. 2
Margery 2
Margret 2
Minnie 2
Ruth 2
Selina 2
Susannah 2
Betsy 1
Blanche 1
Eliz 1
Eliz. 1
Elizath. 1
Winifred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 86
George 42
Thomas 40
William 39
James 32
Joseph 28
Robert 28
Henry 19
Frederick 8
Edward 7
Arthur 6
Matthew 6
Stephen 5
Alfred 4
Nicholas 4
Walter 4
Charles 3
Christopher 3
Harry 3
Thos. 3
Benjamin 2
Edwin 2
Frank 2
Fredrick 2
Geo. 2
Martin 2
Ralph 2
Richard 2
Willm 2
Wm. 2
Anderson 1
Andrew 1
Arnold 1
Benjiman 1
Charley 1
Chas.H. 1
Edginton 1
Edington 1
Edmund 1
Ernest 1
Frances 1
Francis 1
Henderson 1
Infant 1
Isaac 1
J. 1
J.G. 1
Jacob 1
Jas. 1
Joshua 1

FAQ

Greener surname: questions and answers

How common was the Greener surname in 1881?

In 1881, 871 people were recorded with the Greener surname. That placed it at #4,351 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Greener surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,498 in 2016. That gives Greener a modern rank of #4,131.

What does the Greener surname mean?

A surname derived from the Old English "grene," referring to someone living near a green or open space.

What does the Greener map show?

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