NameCensus.

UK surname

Greensmith

An occupational surname referring to a worker who shaped or forged green, or unfinished, metal.

In the 1881 census there were 803 people recorded with the Greensmith surname, ranking it #4,638 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,513, ranked #4,090, up from #4,638 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Basford, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard and St Werburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Stoke-on-Trent, County Durham and Swale.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Greensmith is 1,589 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 88.4%.

1881 census count

803

Ranked #4,638

Modern count

1,513

2016, ranked #4,090

Peak year

2010

1,589 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Greensmith had 803 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,638 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,513 in 2016, ranked #4,090.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,218 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Greensmith surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Greensmith surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Greensmith 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 502 #4,979
1861 historical 540 #4,864
1881 historical 803 #4,638
1891 historical 925 #4,467
1901 historical 1,081 #4,470
1911 historical 1,218 #3,879
1997 modern 1,409 #4,122
1998 modern 1,520 #3,999
1999 modern 1,538 #3,994
2000 modern 1,526 #4,006
2001 modern 1,503 #3,975
2002 modern 1,526 #4,013
2003 modern 1,469 #4,067
2004 modern 1,492 #4,022
2005 modern 1,504 #3,951
2006 modern 1,516 #3,931
2007 modern 1,525 #3,930
2008 modern 1,524 #3,955
2009 modern 1,553 #3,986
2010 modern 1,589 #3,976
2011 modern 1,568 #3,984
2012 modern 1,556 #3,942
2013 modern 1,569 #3,984
2014 modern 1,560 #4,025
2015 modern 1,531 #4,061
2016 modern 1,513 #4,090

Geography

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Where Greensmiths are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Basford, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, St Werburgh, Nottingham St Mary and Sheffield. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Stoke-on-Trent, County Durham, Swale and Gedling. 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 Basford Nottinghamshire
2 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
3 St Werburgh Derbyshire
4 Nottingham St Mary Nottinghamshire
5 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Stoke-on-Trent 032 Stoke-on-Trent
2 County Durham 051 County Durham
3 Swale 006 Swale
4 Stoke-on-Trent 022 Stoke-on-Trent
5 Gedling 001 Gedling

Forenames

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First names often paired with Greensmith

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Greensmith

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Greensmith, 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 Greensmith surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Greensmith 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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Greensmith is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Greensmith is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Greensmith 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 Greensmith is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Greensmith

The surname Greensmith is of English origin, deriving from the medieval occupation of a greensmith, also known as a greenwood worker or a woodworker who specialized in working with unseasoned or 'green' wood. The name is believed to have emerged in the 12th or 13th century, during the height of the medieval period in England.

Historically, the Greensmith surname was most prevalent in the counties of Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, and Lincolnshire, where the forestry and woodworking industries were thriving. The name is likely derived from the Old English words 'grene,' meaning green or fresh, and 'smið,' meaning smith or worker.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Greensmith name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire from 1297, which mentions a Robert le Grenesmyth. Another early reference appears in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield from 1315, which lists a John Grenesmyth.

The surname Greensmith has also been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One such figure was William Greensmith, a prominent architect and surveyor from Nottinghamshire, who lived from 1649 to 1717 and was responsible for designing several churches and public buildings in the region.

Another notable bearer of the Greensmith name was John Greensmith, a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He was born in 1770 and achieved the rank of Captain in the Royal Navy.

In the literary world, there was Samuel Greensmith, an English poet and writer who lived from 1706 to 1784. He is particularly known for his work 'The British Nepos,' a collection of biographies of famous Britons.

The Greensmith surname can also be traced back to places like Grenoside, a village in Yorkshire, which was historically recorded as 'Grenesmyth' in the 13th century. This place name likely influenced the development of the surname in the surrounding areas.

Furthermore, variations of the Greensmith surname, such as Greensmyth and Grenesmyth, have been encountered in historical records, reflecting the evolving spelling and pronunciation of the name over time.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Greensmith families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Greensmith 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. Yorkshire leads with 212 Greensmiths recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.73x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 212 2.73x
Nottinghamshire 209 19.77x
Derbyshire 103 8.39x
Lincolnshire 102 8.13x
Staffordshire 67 2.53x
Lancashire 29 0.31x
Leicestershire 17 1.96x
Surrey 17 0.44x
Essex 9 0.58x
Worcestershire 9 0.88x
Cumberland 8 1.18x
Middlesex 7 0.09x
Rutland 7 12.16x
Cheshire 1 0.06x
Devon 1 0.06x
Durham 1 0.04x
Hampshire 1 0.06x
Huntingdonshire 1 0.64x
Kent 1 0.04x
Lanarkshire 1 0.04x
Norfolk 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. Basford in Nottinghamshire leads with 43 Greensmiths recorded in 1881 and an index of 88.26x.

Place Total Index
Basford 43 88.26x
Greasley 42 176.10x
Nottingham St Mary 33 12.07x
Sheffield 22 8.89x
Brant Broughton 19 1043.96x
Doncaster 18 31.70x
Glossop Dale 17 29.57x
Killamarsh 17 222.51x
Stathern 17 1172.41x
Radford 16 29.80x
Newstead 15 576.92x
Ecclesall Bierlow 14 8.86x
Boston 13 34.17x
Codnor Loscoe 13 133.74x
Rawmarsh 13 47.34x
Battersea 12 4.16x
Cranwell 12 2142.86x
Derby St Peter 12 30.68x
Ecclesfield 12 21.06x
Stoke Upon Trent 11 3.92x
Fulbeck 10 578.03x
Hucknall Torkard 10 37.30x
Leeds 10 2.28x
Leigh 10 568.18x
Thurlstone 10 130.55x
Derby St Michael 9 348.84x
Great Grimsby 9 11.31x
Redditch 9 43.33x
Kettlethorpe 8 1212.12x
Marston Upon Dove 8 202.53x
Millom 8 38.67x
South Shoebury 8 128.62x
Sutton In Ashfield 8 34.87x
Upperthong 8 121.03x
Wombwell 8 35.30x
Brightside Bierlow 7 4.59x
Caverswall 7 50.87x
Elston 7 569.11x
Everton 7 2.36x
Leigh Field 7 921.05x
Mexborough 7 45.37x
Nether Hallam 7 6.66x
Nuthall 7 176.32x
Rugeley 7 36.84x
Shirland 7 76.25x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 6 8.29x
Checkley 6 87.21x
Derby St Werburgh 6 8.46x
Oakham Lordshold 6 99.50x
Scopwick 6 555.56x
Wellow 6 606.06x
Wooldale 6 45.52x
Almondbury 5 13.30x
Ashton Under Lyne 5 2.46x
Beckingham 5 537.63x
Bramcote 5 247.52x
Derby All Sts 5 48.73x
Halifax 5 4.38x
Kirkby In Ashfield 5 44.21x
Litchurch 5 10.12x
Openshaw 5 11.47x
Wortley In Wortley 5 163.40x
Bradford 4 2.13x
East Ardsley 4 59.44x
Gildersome 4 42.83x
Haughton 4 29.46x
Hunslet 4 3.30x
Lambeth 4 0.58x
Sculcoates 4 3.25x
Stone 4 11.81x
Thurgoland 4 76.34x
Uttoxeter 4 29.52x
Wilsford 4 216.22x
Bourn 3 29.62x
Derby St Alkmund 3 8.15x
Heckmondwike 3 12.00x
Holy Trinity 3 1.60x
Lapley 3 150.00x
Lenton 3 12.05x
Snenton 3 7.22x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 67
Sarah 32
Elizabeth 31
Eliza 22
Emma 19
Alice 15
Hannah 15
Emily 13
Ann 12
Annie 11
Fanny 10
Charlotte 9
Ellen 9
Martha 9
Harriet 8
Jane 8
Catherine 6
Florence 6
Edith 5
Lucy 5
Maria 5
Ada 4
Caroline 4
Frances 4
Gertrude 4
Julia 4
Anne 3
Clara 3
Harriett 3
Kate 3
Margaret 3
Ruth 3
Susannah 3
Bertha 2
Betsy 2
Betty 2
Cecilia 2
Dorothy 2
Elizth. 2
Esther 2
Lilly 2
Louisa 2
Lydia 2
Rebecca 2
Rose 2
Eliza. 1
Elizth.A. 1
Helena 1
Henrietta 1
William 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 52
William 48
George 31
Thomas 29
Henry 18
Joseph 17
Robert 16
Arthur 9
Charles 8
Edward 8
Frank 8
James 8
Harry 6
Albert 5
Alfred 5
Herbert 5
Richard 5
Laurence 4
Samuel 4
Walter 4
Fred 3
Joe 3
Lawrence 3
Moses 3
Percy 3
Ralph 3
Thos. 3
Tom 3
Wm. 3
Benjamin 2
Edwin 2
Frederick 2
Fredrick 2
Jos. 2
Sam 2
Cecil 1
Clarence 1
Claude 1
Cornelius 1
David 1
Earnest 1
Frances 1
Francis 1
Fredk. 1
Geo.William 1
Gladstone 1
Johnson 1
Lenard 1
Lewis 1
Wright 1

FAQ

Greensmith surname: questions and answers

How common was the Greensmith surname in 1881?

In 1881, 803 people were recorded with the Greensmith surname. That placed it at #4,638 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Greensmith surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,513 in 2016. That gives Greensmith a modern rank of #4,090.

What does the Greensmith surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to a worker who shaped or forged green, or unfinished, metal.

What does the Greensmith map show?

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