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Greenland Family History

Greenland Surname Meaning

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.

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.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Where is the Greenland family from?

You can see how Greenland families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Greenland family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Greenland families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 297 Greenland families living in London. This was about 30% of all the recorded Greenland's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Greenland families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Greenland surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Greenland ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Greenland. 16% of Greenland men worked as a General Labourer and 73% of Greenland women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Greenland were Gardener and Shorthand Typist.

View Census Data for Greenland | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • General Labourer
    16%
  • Carpenter joiner
    10%
  • Police Sergeant
    6%
  • Gardener
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    73%
  • Incapacitated
    4%
  • Housewife
    3%
  • Shorthand Typist
    2%

What Greenland family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 30,000 census records available for the last name Greenland. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Greenland census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Greenland

Passenger Lists

There are 3,000 immigration records available for the last name Greenland. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Greenland immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 4,000 military records available for the last name Greenland. For the veterans among your Greenland ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Greenland military records

You've only scratched the surface of Greenland family history

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What is the average Greenland lifespan?

Between 1957 and 2004, in the United States, Greenland life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1957, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Greenland in 1957 was 58, and 77 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Greenland

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Greenland ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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