NameCensus.

UK surname

Greenshields

A locational surname indicating an area where green shields or screens were once found.

In the 1881 census there were 548 people recorded with the Greenshields surname, ranking it #6,297 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 819, ranked #6,776, down from #6,297 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lanark, Govan Combination and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Douglas, Coalburn and Rigside, Uphall, Dechmont and Ecclesmachan and Possil Park.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Greenshields is 832 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 49.5%.

1881 census count

548

Ranked #6,297

Modern count

819

2016, ranked #6,776

Peak year

2010

832 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Greenshields had 548 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,297 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 819 in 2016, ranked #6,776.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 748 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Greenshields surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Greenshields surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Greenshields 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 331 #7,044
1861 historical 333 #7,646
1881 historical 548 #6,297
1891 historical 612 #6,284
1901 historical 748 #5,954
1911 historical 188 #15,550
1997 modern 784 #6,645
1998 modern 806 #6,713
1999 modern 799 #6,799
2000 modern 789 #6,850
2001 modern 741 #7,040
2002 modern 761 #7,035
2003 modern 764 #6,910
2004 modern 757 #6,972
2005 modern 761 #6,881
2006 modern 762 #6,896
2007 modern 799 #6,699
2008 modern 804 #6,716
2009 modern 820 #6,741
2010 modern 832 #6,807
2011 modern 819 #6,809
2012 modern 799 #6,835
2013 modern 815 #6,832
2014 modern 825 #6,808
2015 modern 814 #6,835
2016 modern 819 #6,776

Geography

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Where Greenshields' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lanark, Govan Combination, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Douglas. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Douglas, Coalburn and Rigside, Uphall, Dechmont and Ecclesmachan, Possil Park, Carstairs, Carstairs Junction and Carnwath and Biggar, Symington, Thankerton and Dolphinton. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Lanark Lanark
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Glasgow Lanark
5 Douglas Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Douglas, Coalburn and Rigside South Lanarkshire
2 Uphall, Dechmont and Ecclesmachan West Lothian
3 Possil Park Glasgow City
4 Carstairs, Carstairs Junction and Carnwath South Lanarkshire
5 Biggar, Symington, Thankerton and Dolphinton South Lanarkshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Greenshields

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Greenshields

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

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Greenshields surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Greenshields household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

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

Suburban Asian Communities

Group

Settled Semi-Detached Asians

Within London, Greenshields is most associated with areas classed as Settled Semi-Detached Asians, part of Suburban Asian Communities. 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 residents share Supergroup characteristics of large (non-Chinese) Asian populations but those identifying as Bangladeshi are notably absent. Many residents were born in the UK, while other more recent migrants have African birthplaces. Semi-detached housing, much of it owner occupied, prevails in these suburban residential locations.

Wider London pattern

Many residents of these neighbourhoods are of (non-Chinese) Asian descent, with many identifying as Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi. Neighbourhoods are located across large areas of suburban west, north-east and south London. Detached, semi-detached and terraced houses are more prevalent than flats and socially rented housing is uncommon. Few residents live in communal establishments. Many families have dependent children, sometimes in overcrowded accommodation, and few households are ethnically mixed. Marriage rates are above the London average. The even age distribution, relative absence of individuals living alone and frequent incidence of households with children suggests that multi-generation households may be relatively common. Employment is often in skilled trades, elementary, sales and customer service occupations, and roles as process, plant, and machine operatives. Manufacturing and construction are well represented, along with employment in distribution, hotels, and restaurants. Many adults have only level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. English is not used at home by some residents. Religious affiliation is above average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Greenshields 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

Greenshields falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Greenshields

The surname Greenshields is of Scottish origin, and it is believed to have originated in the late 16th or early 17th century. The name is a combination of the Old English words "grene," meaning green, and "scheld," meaning shield or shelter, suggesting that it may have been a descriptive name for someone who lived near a green-covered shield or shelter.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Scottish parish records of Lanarkshire, where a John Greenshields was listed in 1645. The name also appears in other historical records from the same region, such as the Renfrewshire Parish Records, where a William Greenshields was mentioned in 1673.

In the late 17th century, the Reverend Francis Greenshields (1663-1708) was a notable figure associated with the surname. He was a Church of Scotland minister who was imprisoned for his support of the Episcopal Church in Scotland. His case garnered significant attention and contributed to the eventual passing of the Toleration Act of 1712, which granted greater religious freedom in Britain.

Another notable person with the surname Greenshields was John Greenshields (1803-1887), a Scottish-born Australian settler and entrepreneur. He was one of the early pioneers in the Australian wine industry and established the Greenshields Wines company in South Australia.

In the 19th century, the name Greenshields was also associated with the textile industry in Scotland. Robert Greenshields (1820-1898) was a successful Scottish textile manufacturer and philanthropist who founded the Greenshields & Co. textile company in Paisley.

Other historical figures with the surname Greenshields include James Greenshields (1834-1914), a Scottish-born Australian politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Victoria, and Sir John Greenshields (1856-1948), a British civil engineer and architect who was involved in the construction of several notable buildings in London and other parts of the United Kingdom.

While the surname Greenshields may have originated as a descriptive name, it has since become a well-established family name with a rich history, particularly in Scotland and parts of Australia, where individuals bearing this surname have made significant contributions across various fields.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Greenshields families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Greenshields 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. Lanarkshire leads with 250 Greenshields' recorded in 1881 and an index of 14.81x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 250 14.81x
Ayrshire 54 13.83x
Midlothian 39 5.58x
Lancashire 28 0.45x
Middlesex 23 0.44x
Yorkshire 20 0.39x
Durham 14 0.90x
Peeblesshire 13 52.95x
Kent 12 0.67x
Surrey 10 0.39x
Argyllshire 9 6.19x
Hertfordshire 8 2.22x
Angus 6 1.24x
Berkshire 6 1.53x
Essex 6 0.58x
Renfrewshire 6 1.48x
Aberdeenshire 4 0.83x
Dumfriesshire 4 3.47x
Clackmannanshire 3 6.96x
Kirkcudbrightshire 3 3.97x
Sussex 3 0.34x
West Lothian 3 3.82x
Dunbartonshire 2 1.43x
Fife 2 0.65x
Devon 1 0.09x
Dorset 1 0.29x
Northumberland 1 0.13x
Oxfordshire 1 0.31x
Somerset 1 0.12x
Stirlingshire 1 0.52x
Westmorland 1 0.87x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Govan in Lanarkshire leads with 31 Greenshields' recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.43x.

Place Total Index
Govan 31 7.43x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 26 9.24x
Shotts 24 118.81x
Barony 20 4.68x
Cambusnethan 19 50.68x
Middlesbrough 19 28.22x
Douglas 14 287.47x
Glasgow 14 4.67x
Dalserf 13 77.20x
Lanark 13 95.73x
Dundonald 12 83.33x
Lesmahagow 12 67.23x
Cambuslang 11 64.63x
Ochiltree 11 408.92x
Shettleston 11 72.80x
Carmichael 10 714.29x
Kilmarnock 10 21.51x
Kirkdale 10 9.60x
Ryhope 9 83.49x
St Pancras London 9 2.14x
Carstairs 8 228.57x
Crawford 8 253.97x
Lambeth 8 1.76x
Old Monkland 8 11.94x
Weston 8 462.43x
Bothwell 7 15.29x
Fenwick 7 338.16x
Liverpool 7 1.86x
St Luke London 7 8.36x
Bradfield 6 289.86x
Carluke 6 39.14x
Carnwath 6 57.47x
Kilfinan 6 154.64x
Sorn 6 78.23x
Toxteth Park 6 2.86x
West Ham 6 2.64x
West Linton 6 300.00x
Dundee 5 2.77x
Wiston Robertson 5 495.05x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 4 4.42x
Eltham 4 38.35x
Ightham 4 178.57x
Kilbucho 4 1052.63x
South Leith 4 5.08x
Abbey 3 4.86x
Alloa 3 14.35x
Deptford St Paul 3 2.18x
Edinburgh St Marys 3 22.08x
Hackney London 3 1.03x
Hamilton 3 6.37x
Kirkmabreck 3 90.91x
Midhurst 3 103.81x
Newton Bewley 3 1250.00x
St Marylebone London 3 1.08x
Whitburn 3 26.43x
Auckinleck 2 16.54x
Barrow In Furness 2 2.37x
Dunoon Kilmun 2 17.65x
Edinburgh St Georges 2 13.78x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 2 2.97x
Irvine 2 18.43x
Long Ditton 2 48.19x
Maryhill 2 6.05x
Muirkirk 2 21.81x
Sanquhar 2 49.38x
West Calder 2 14.51x
Covington 1 126.58x
Crawfordjohn 1 66.23x
Dumbarton 1 5.12x
Dun 1 103.09x
Great Crosby 1 5.92x
Guisbrough 1 8.85x
Hoddam 1 35.97x
Kilmaurs 1 15.04x
Kirkconnell 1 54.64x
Lewisham 1 1.05x
Oldham 1 0.50x
Orton 1 29.15x
Sarsden 1 357.14x
Scoonie 1 14.95x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Jane 9
Caroline 4
Elizabeth 4
Margaret 4
Agnes 3
Eliza 3
Amelia 2
Hannah 2
Julia 2
Lucy 2
Mary 2
Ada 1
Alexandria 1
Ann 1
Catherine 1
Dorothy 1
Eleanor 1
Elenor 1
Eliz. 1
Ellen 1
Emma 1
Fannie 1
Florence 1
Helen 1
Helena 1
Infant 1
Isabella 1
Janet 1
Jessie 1
Kate 1
Lilian 1
Lily 1
Mabel 1
Marg. 1
Marian 1
Martha 1
Maud 1
Robina 1
Rose 1
Sarah 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 12
William 12
James 5
Thomas 5
George 4
Robert 4
Edward 3
Joseph 3
Albert 2
Archibald 2
Henry 2
Robt. 2
Alfred 1
Benjamin 1
David 1
Florance 1
Fredrick 1
Geo. 1
Jno. 1
Lockhart 1
Norman 1
R. 1
Raymond 1
Samuel 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Greenshields surname: questions and answers

How common was the Greenshields surname in 1881?

In 1881, 548 people were recorded with the Greenshields surname. That placed it at #6,297 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Greenshields surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 819 in 2016. That gives Greenshields a modern rank of #6,776.

What does the Greenshields surname mean?

A locational surname indicating an area where green shields or screens were once found.

What does the Greenshields map show?

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