NameCensus.

UK surname

Greenhalgh

A topographic surname derived from Old English elements meaning "green" and "corner" or "nook," referring to a green hollow.

In the 1881 census there were 6,131 people recorded with the Greenhalgh surname, ranking it #711 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 5,540, ranked #1,211, down from #711 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rochdale, Bury and Radcliffe. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bolton.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Greenhalgh is 8,181 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 9.6%.

1881 census count

6,131

Ranked #711

Modern count

5,540

2016, ranked #1,211

Peak year

1911

8,181 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Greenhalgh had 6,131 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #711 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 5,540 in 2016, ranked #1,211.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 8,181 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Greenhalgh surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Greenhalgh surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Greenhalgh 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 4,161 #685
1861 historical 4,075 #685
1881 historical 6,131 #711
1891 historical 6,852 #660
1901 historical 7,793 #690
1911 historical 8,181 #610
1997 modern 5,634 #1,156
1998 modern 5,722 #1,188
1999 modern 5,855 #1,163
2000 modern 5,902 #1,148
2001 modern 5,927 #1,124
2002 modern 5,994 #1,137
2003 modern 5,850 #1,135
2004 modern 5,725 #1,151
2005 modern 5,534 #1,167
2006 modern 5,586 #1,160
2007 modern 5,605 #1,162
2008 modern 5,613 #1,166
2009 modern 5,757 #1,165
2010 modern 5,815 #1,178
2011 modern 5,666 #1,200
2012 modern 5,513 #1,208
2013 modern 5,656 #1,199
2014 modern 5,657 #1,207
2015 modern 5,613 #1,201
2016 modern 5,540 #1,211

Geography

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Where Greenhalghs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rochdale, Bury, Radcliffe, Manchester and Middleton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bolton. 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 Rochdale Lancashire
2 Bury Lancashire
3 Radcliffe Lancashire
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Middleton Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bolton 008 Bolton
2 Bolton 019 Bolton
3 Bolton 034 Bolton
4 Bolton 006 Bolton
5 Bolton 032 Bolton

Forenames

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First names often paired with Greenhalgh

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Greenhalgh

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

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Greenhalgh is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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 located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Greenhalgh is most concentrated in decile 2 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Greenhalgh falls in decile 1 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.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Greenhalgh 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 - British

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

Meaning and origin of Greenhalgh

The surname Greenhalgh originates from the areas around Lancashire and Yorkshire in England, dating back to the late 12th century. It is derived from the Old English words 'grene' meaning green and 'haulgh' referring to a meadow or valley, thus describing a person who lived in a green meadow or valley.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Lancashire Inquests of 1310-1333, where it appears as 'de Grenehulgh'. Similar spellings such as 'de Grenhalgh' and 'de Grenehalgh' are also found in various records from the 13th and 14th centuries.

The Greenhalgh surname is believed to have originated from the town of Greenhalgh near Kirkham in Lancashire, which was first documented in the Domesday Book of 1086 as 'Grenehol'. This place name likely gave rise to the surname as people began to adopt locational surnames.

In the 16th century, a notable figure with this surname was Thomas Greenhalgh (c.1525-1594), an English Catholic priest who was imprisoned for his religious beliefs during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Another prominent individual was James Greenhalgh (1597-1651), a Member of Parliament for Lancashire during the English Civil War.

During the 17th century, Richard Greenhalgh (1632-1694) was a renowned English physician and author of several medical texts. In the 18th century, John Greenhalgh (1717-1796) was a successful merchant and land owner in Liverpool.

In more recent history, William Greenhalgh (1840-1909) was a prominent English industrialist and philanthropist who helped establish various educational institutions in the town of Wigan.

The Greenhalgh surname has also been found in various parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, likely due to immigration from England over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Greenhalgh families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Greenhalgh 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. Lancashire leads with 5,630 Greenhalghs recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.93x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 5,630 7.93x
Cheshire 152 1.15x
Yorkshire 137 0.23x
Nottinghamshire 33 0.41x
Middlesex 29 0.05x
Derbyshire 27 0.29x
Staffordshire 26 0.13x
Lanarkshire 17 0.09x
Shropshire 15 0.29x
Durham 11 0.06x
Cumberland 8 0.16x
Essex 7 0.06x
East Lothian 6 0.76x
Kent 6 0.03x
Warwickshire 5 0.03x
Northumberland 4 0.04x
Somerset 4 0.04x
Dorset 3 0.08x
Glamorgan 2 0.02x
Lincolnshire 2 0.02x
Royal Navy 2 0.28x
Surrey 2 0.01x
Sussex 2 0.02x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.02x
Anglesey 1 0.09x
Bedfordshire 1 0.03x
Hampshire 1 0.01x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Little Bolton in Lancashire leads with 478 Greenhalghs recorded in 1881 and an index of 52.36x.

Place Total Index
Little Bolton 478 52.36x
Great Bolton 381 40.51x
Tottington Lower End 305 90.39x
Bury 275 33.91x
Heap 239 63.46x
Radcliffe 231 67.49x
Salford 170 8.14x
Worsley 143 32.67x
Farnworth 137 32.20x
Oldham 129 5.63x
Elton 128 52.18x
Ainsworth 121 440.16x
Manchester 120 3.76x
Halliwell 113 43.73x
Castleton 96 13.54x
Over Darwen 93 16.40x
Tonge With Haulgh 90 65.11x
Blackburn 85 4.50x
Pendlebury 81 54.03x
Darcy Lever 80 195.69x
Turton 74 63.65x
Pilkington 71 26.32x
Walmersley Cum 69 60.82x
Preston 67 3.53x
Little Lever 65 71.59x
Spotland 65 8.23x
Pendleton In Salford 60 7.09x
Westhoughton 58 30.61x
Hopwood 55 59.25x
Burnley 54 9.03x
Harwood 53 142.90x
Middleton In Oldham 52 24.43x
Atherton 48 18.57x
Hyde 47 12.06x
Ashton Under Lyne 45 2.90x
Newton 45 8.22x
Chadderton 43 12.39x
Rumworth 42 41.39x
Accrington 41 6.35x
Barton Upon Irwell 40 7.48x
Kearsley 40 26.77x
Horwich 37 47.78x
Middle Hulton 35 83.23x
Tonge 33 22.15x
Sharples 32 41.55x
Newchurch 30 5.16x
Habergham Eaves 28 4.31x
Prestwich 28 15.81x
Tyldesley Cum Shakerley 27 13.21x
Breightmet 26 83.23x
Blackrod 24 27.20x
Cheetham 23 4.34x
Edgeworth 23 60.30x
Wigan 22 2.22x
Quarlton 21 378.38x
Gorton 20 3.00x
Westleigh 20 12.40x
Saddleworth 19 4.15x
Chorley 18 4.52x
Failsworth 18 11.08x
Bradford 17 5.12x
Chorlton On Medlock 17 1.51x
Great Lever 17 22.57x
Little Hulton 17 14.46x
Broughton In Salford 16 2.46x
Everton 16 0.71x
Stockport 15 2.21x
West Derby 15 0.72x
Birtle Cum Bamford 14 30.22x
Dukinfield 14 2.29x
Monks Coppenhall 13 2.61x
Wardleworth 13 3.20x
Ardwick 12 1.87x
Hindley 12 3.96x
Hulme 12 0.81x
Little Heaton 12 70.75x
Rochdale 12 23.18x
Cheadle 11 4.36x
North Meols 11 1.58x
Batley 10 1.77x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 477
Sarah 274
Alice 248
Elizabeth 231
Ellen 138
Ann 136
Jane 132
Margaret 120
Hannah 101
Martha 84
Emma 75
Eliza 64
Betsy 62
Annie 55
Betty 48
Ada 42
Nancy 42
Emily 41
Maria 38
Esther 36
Harriet 36
Susannah 25
Elizth. 24
Rachel 21
Clara 19
Catherine 18
Louisa 18
Lucy 18
Amelia 17
Fanny 16
Florence 16
Isabella 15
Edith 14
Frances 14
Agnes 12
Charlotte 12
Bertha 11
Caroline 11
Margt. 11
Rebecca 10
Sophia 9
Anne 8
Gertrude 7
Ruth 7
Leah 6
Lilly 6
Susan 6
Amy 5
Grace 5
Lilian 5

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 429
William 321
James 313
Thomas 229
Joseph 141
Robert 131
Samuel 95
Henry 84
Richard 84
George 77
Peter 48
Walter 48
Edward 43
Albert 36
Alfred 32
Charles 31
Arthur 30
Harry 29
Frederick 27
Edwin 23
Frank 23
Fred 23
Herbert 22
Thos. 22
Wm. 22
Daniel 20
Ellis 20
David 16
Ernest 14
Squire 14
Adam 13
Benjamin 13
Christopher 13
Jacob 13
Harold 12
Abraham 11
Edmund 11
Robt. 11
Jno. 9
Ralph 9
Isaac 8
Jonathan 8
Luke 8
Saml. 8
Timothy 8
West 8
Jas. 7
Wright 7
Geo. 6
Hugh 6

FAQ

Greenhalgh surname: questions and answers

How common was the Greenhalgh surname in 1881?

In 1881, 6,131 people were recorded with the Greenhalgh surname. That placed it at #711 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Greenhalgh surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 5,540 in 2016. That gives Greenhalgh a modern rank of #1,211.

What does the Greenhalgh surname mean?

A topographic surname derived from Old English elements meaning "green" and "corner" or "nook," referring to a green hollow.

What does the Greenhalgh map show?

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