Explore the Family Name Greenland
The meaning of Greenland
1. English: topographic name for someone who lived ‘(by the) green meadow’, Middle English grene, grein + land, or a habitational name from a minor place so named. 2. Americanized form (translation into English) of Dutch Groenland and possibly also of German Grönland: habitational name from any of several farmsteads or hamlets so named, with the same meaning as 1 above, from Dutch groen, Low German grön ‘green’ + land ‘land’. The surname Grönland is very rare in Germany.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Greenland in the United States?
According to the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname "Greenland" saw a slight decrease between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, the surname ranked 18,560th in terms of popularity, but by 2010 it slipped to 19,189th, marking a decline of 3.39%. However, the actual count of people with the Greenland name increased from 1,371 in 2000 to 1,415 in 2010, reflecting a growth of 3.21%. Despite this increase in count, the proportion per 100k fell by 5.88%, indicating that the overall population growth outpaced the growth of the Greenland surname.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #18,560 | #19,189 | -3.39% |
| Count | 1,371 | 1,415 | 3.21% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.51 | 0.48 | -5.88% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Greenland
The Decennial U.S. Census also provides insights into the ethnicity associated with the Greenland surname. The data shows changes in the ethnic identities associated with the name between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, 91.03% of Greenlands identified as White, decreasing to 88.69% in 2010. Meanwhile, the percentage identifying as Black increased from 5.18% to 6.78%. The Hispanic identity associated with the Greenland name also saw an increase, rising from 1.46% in 2000 to 2.33% in 2010. There was a noted rise in individuals identifying as two or more races, increasing from 1.09% in 2000 to 1.34% in 2010. The census report showed no figures for Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian and Alaskan Native in 2010, indicating the data was suppressed for privacy reasons.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 91.03% | 88.69% | -2.57% |
| Black | 5.18% | 6.78% | 30.89% |
| Hispanic | 1.46% | 2.33% | 59.59% |
| Two or More Races | 1.09% | 1.34% | 22.94% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.36% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.88% | 0% | 0% |