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Greenwood Family History

Greenwood Surname Meaning

English (Yorkshire and Lancashire): habitational name from Greenwood Lee in Heptonstall (Yorkshire) from Middle English grene ‘green’ + wode ‘wood’. Americanized form (translation into English) of Jewish (Ashkenazic) Grünholz an ornamental compound of German grün ‘green’ + Holz ‘wood’ and probably also of the same German surname.

Americanized form (translation into English) of German and Jewish (Ashkenazic) Grünwald (see Grunwald) and of French Boisvert.

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


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Where is the Greenwood family from?

You can see how Greenwood families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Greenwood family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Greenwood families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 11,622 Greenwood families living in Yorkshire. This was about 47% of all the recorded Greenwood's in United Kingdom. Yorkshire had the highest population of Greenwood families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Greenwood 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 Greenwood ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Cotton Weaver and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Greenwood. 6% of Greenwood men worked as a Cotton Weaver and 61% of Greenwood women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Greenwood were Incapacitated and Unpaid Domestic.

View Census Data for Greenwood | 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

  • Cotton Weaver
    6%
  • General Labourer
    6%
  • Dairy Farmer
    3%
  • Incapacitated
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    61%
  • Cotton Weaver
    4%
  • Private Means
    2%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    2%

What Greenwood family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 632,000 census records available for the last name Greenwood. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Greenwood census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Greenwood

Passenger Lists

There are 44,000 immigration records available for the last name Greenwood. 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 Greenwood immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 42,000 military records available for the last name Greenwood. For the veterans among your Greenwood ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Greenwood military records

You've only scratched the surface of Greenwood family history

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What is the average Greenwood lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Greenwood life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1948, and highest in 1988. The average life expectancy for Greenwood in 1940 was 39, and 77 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Greenwood

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Greenwood 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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