Explore the Family Name Greenlees
The meaning of Greenlees
1. Scottish (Lanarkshire and Renfrewshire): habitational name from (East or West) Greenlees in Lanarkshire, named from Older Scots grēne ‘green’ + ley(s) ‘piece of open country’, later ‘meadow’. 2. English (Lancashire): topographic name from Middle English grene ‘green’ + lese ‘pasture’. As an English surname this is now rare or may even have died out entirely; most if not all modern bearers are of Scottish descent.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Greenlees in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Greenlees has seen a slight decrease between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked as the 59,611th most popular surname in the U.S., but by 2010, it had slipped to the rank of 62,045th, representing a decline of 4.08%. However, despite this drop in rank, the actual count of individuals with this surname increased from 317 in 2000 to 323 in 2010, indicating a growth of 1.89%. The proportion per 100,000 people bearing the surname Greenlees decreased by 8.33% over the decade.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #59,611 | #62,045 | -4.08% |
| Count | 317 | 323 | 1.89% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.12 | 0.11 | -8.33% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Greenlees
The ethnicity associated with the surname Greenlees also changed slightly over this period, according to the same Decennial U.S. Census data. In 2000, 94.95% of the people with this surname identified as White, a number that increased marginally to 95.05% by 2010. The percentage of those identifying as Hispanic also saw a rise from 1.58% to 1.86%, equating to a 17.72% increase. Those identifying as Black were at 1.58% in 2000 but the data for 2010 was suppressed for privacy reasons. Meanwhile, there were no reported individuals identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander or American Indian and Alaskan Native in either census year. As a new occurrence, by 2010, 1.55% of the Greenlees population reported belonging to two or more races.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 94.95% | 95.05% | 0.11% |
| Hispanic | 1.58% | 1.86% | 17.72% |
| Two or More Races | 0% | 1.55% | 0% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Black | 1.58% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |