NameCensus.

UK surname

Greenland

A surname derived from a geographic location referring to a person from Greenland.

In the 1881 census there were 938 people recorded with the Greenland surname, ranking it #4,107 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,155, ranked #5,113, down from #4,107 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Trowbridge and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Blaenau Gwent, County Durham and Lancaster.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Greenland is 1,252 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 23.1%.

1881 census count

938

Ranked #4,107

Modern count

1,155

2016, ranked #5,113

Peak year

2002

1,252 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Greenland had 938 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,107 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,155 in 2016, ranked #5,113.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,228 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Greenland surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Greenland surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Greenland 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 633 #4,103
1861 historical 694 #3,891
1881 historical 938 #4,107
1891 historical 1,047 #3,995
1901 historical 1,137 #4,273
1911 historical 1,228 #3,847
1997 modern 1,177 #4,792
1998 modern 1,211 #4,849
1999 modern 1,225 #4,830
2000 modern 1,227 #4,798
2001 modern 1,210 #4,770
2002 modern 1,252 #4,729
2003 modern 1,237 #4,687
2004 modern 1,234 #4,692
2005 modern 1,177 #4,842
2006 modern 1,157 #4,913
2007 modern 1,142 #5,014
2008 modern 1,155 #4,991
2009 modern 1,178 #5,020
2010 modern 1,202 #5,037
2011 modern 1,185 #5,039
2012 modern 1,143 #5,110
2013 modern 1,161 #5,136
2014 modern 1,181 #5,093
2015 modern 1,163 #5,103
2016 modern 1,155 #5,113

Geography

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Where Greenlands are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to Blaenau Gwent, County Durham, Lancaster and Wiltshire. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 Trowbridge Wiltshire
3 London parishes London 3
4 St Pancras London (North Districts)
5 Lambeth London (South Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Blaenau Gwent 004 Blaenau Gwent
2 Blaenau Gwent 007 Blaenau Gwent
3 County Durham 064 County Durham
4 Lancaster 001 Lancaster
5 Wiltshire 036 Wiltshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Greenland

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Greenland

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Greenland, 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 Greenland surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Greenland 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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Greenland 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

Greenland 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

Greenland falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Greenland

The surname Greenland is of English origin, derived from the place name "Greenland" which refers to the island country between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans. The name is believed to have originated in the late 10th century after the Viking explorer Erik the Red first sighted Greenland and established a settlement there.

While the name Greenland itself is rooted in the Old Norse words "grōn" meaning "green" and "land" meaning "land", the surname's etymology points to an English origin. It likely emerged as a way to identify individuals who either came from Greenland or had some association with the region.

Some of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Greenland can be found in medieval English records, such as the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which document a Robert de Grenelande in Oxfordshire. The Subsidy Rolls of 1327 also mention a Thomas Grenlond in Cambridgeshire.

In the 15th century, the surname appeared in various forms including Grenlond, Grenelonde, and Grenelund, reflecting the linguistic variations of the time. One notable bearer of the name was John Greenland, a merchant and member of the Worshipful Company of Mercers in London, who lived around 1450.

As exploration and trade with Greenland increased in the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname Greenland became more prevalent in England. William Greenland (1537-1612) was a notable figure who served as the Captain of Gravesend, responsible for overseeing shipping on the River Thames.

Another prominent individual was Sir John Greenland (1602-1675), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Gloucester and played a role in the English Civil War. He was knighted by King Charles I in 1642.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, the surname Greenland continued to be found throughout England, with various individuals making contributions in different fields. Benjamin Greenland (1756-1823) was an influential nonconformist minister and author, while John Greenland (1821-1891) was a renowned English landscape painter.

While the surname Greenland is not extremely common, it has been carried by notable individuals throughout history, reflecting its roots in the exploration and settlement of the island country that bears its name.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Greenland families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Greenland 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 191 Greenlands recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.08x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 191 2.08x
Wiltshire 117 14.38x
Somerset 110 7.43x
Surrey 107 2.39x
Gloucestershire 86 4.77x
Kent 62 1.98x
Monmouthshire 45 6.77x
Lancashire 35 0.32x
Glamorgan 24 1.50x
Sussex 23 1.48x
Essex 22 1.21x
Durham 11 0.40x
Yorkshire 10 0.11x
Herefordshire 9 2.39x
Northumberland 9 0.66x
Warwickshire 8 0.34x
Brecknockshire 7 3.81x
Cheshire 7 0.34x
Oxfordshire 7 1.23x
Staffordshire 7 0.23x
Northamptonshire 6 0.69x
Shropshire 6 0.76x
Berkshire 5 0.72x
Hampshire 5 0.27x
Lincolnshire 5 0.34x
Pembrokeshire 5 1.71x
Royal Navy 4 3.65x
Channel Islands 3 1.10x
Hertfordshire 3 0.47x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.27x
Devon 1 0.05x
Dorset 1 0.17x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.08x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Westbury in Wiltshire leads with 49 Greenlands recorded in 1881 and an index of 258.03x.

Place Total Index
Westbury 49 258.03x
Islington London 40 4.49x
St Pancras London 26 3.51x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 24 14.13x
Newington 22 6.47x
Bedwellty 21 17.89x
Rotherhithe 21 18.48x
Trowbridge 21 58.40x
Brighton 20 6.39x
Camberwell 17 2.89x
Frome 17 48.01x
Norton St Philip 15 931.68x
West Ham 15 3.74x
Lambeth 14 1.75x
Paddington London 14 4.14x
Bedminster 13 9.34x
Devizes St Mary 13 158.15x
Herne 13 93.53x
Mile End Old Town London 13 6.64x
St Woollos 13 17.52x
Bristol St George 12 14.38x
Timsbury 12 267.26x
Hilperton 11 424.71x
Beckington 10 342.47x
Folkestone 10 16.43x
Shoreditch London 10 2.51x
Whessoe 9 1111.11x
Bristol Temple 8 67.34x
Camerton 8 185.61x
Dover St Mary Virgin 8 26.33x
Hackney London 8 1.55x
Holmer 8 117.82x
Liverpool 8 1.21x
Poplar London 8 4.61x
Westgate 8 9.44x
Bethnal Green London 7 1.75x
Bitton Oldland 7 37.96x
Bromley London 7 3.46x
Devizes St John 7 114.57x
Hampstead London 7 4.89x
Harrow On The Hill 7 38.08x
Llangattock 7 46.73x
Southwark St George Martyr 7 3.78x
Warminster 7 39.26x
Wells St Cuthbert In 7 309.73x
Dawley 6 20.75x
Lewisham 6 3.59x
Merthyr Tydfil 6 3.90x
Woolverton 6 1463.41x
Aberystruth 5 8.53x
Battersea 5 1.48x
Bristol St Michael 5 32.32x
Chelsea London 5 1.80x
Claughton With Grange 5 54.05x
Coventry Holy Trinity 5 7.22x
East Haddon 5 211.86x
East Molesey 5 48.08x
Gelligaer 5 13.67x
Mitcham 5 17.65x
Newchurch 5 5.60x
Oxford St Ebbe 5 29.90x
Raithby In Spilsby 5 1020.41x
Southwark St Saviour 5 10.58x
Walmer 5 36.66x
West Littleton 5 1562.50x
Bristol St Paul In 4 8.32x
Buckland Dinham 4 279.72x
Clutton 4 124.61x
Cookham 4 18.58x
Hillingdon 4 13.64x
Kensington London 4 0.78x
Linthorpe 4 7.35x
Marshfield 4 82.99x
Mynyddyslwyn 4 15.25x
Pembroke St Mary 4 10.62x
Ratcliffe London 4 7.87x
Royal Navy 4 4.27x
St Marylebone London 4 0.81x
Toxteth Park 4 1.08x
Whitstable 4 25.99x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 60
George 45
John 40
James 33
Henry 30
Alfred 24
Thomas 23
Charles 22
Joseph 17
Frederick 15
Edward 11
Arthur 8
Richard 8
Herbert 7
Robert 6
Samuel 6
Albert 5
Benjamin 5
Frank 5
Harry 5
Walter 5
Ernest 4
David 3
Edmund 3
Jacob 3
Willie 3
Wm. 3
Daniel 2
Francis 2
Hubert 2
Oliver 2
Richd. 2
Adam 1
Benj. 1
Dl. 1
E.J. 1
Edwin 1
Eli 1
Elihu 1
Elijah 1
Fred 1
Fredk. 1
Fredrick 1
Geary 1
J. 1
Jeremiah 1
Jonathan 1
Lazarus 1
Leslie 1
Lordnas 1

FAQ

Greenland surname: questions and answers

How common was the Greenland surname in 1881?

In 1881, 938 people were recorded with the Greenland surname. That placed it at #4,107 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Greenland surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,155 in 2016. That gives Greenland a modern rank of #5,113.

What does the Greenland surname mean?

A surname derived from a geographic location referring to a person from Greenland.

What does the Greenland map show?

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