Greenawalt History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The name Greenawalt is of Anglo-Saxon origin and came from when the family lived as dwellers beside the green grassy hill or body of water. The name comes from the Old English words "green," and "well." No doubt, the first to use this surname were a family who lived on lush green ground near a well, spring or stream. As such, the surname is classed as a topographic surname, one based on physical features near the residence, such as hills, streams, churches, etc.

Early Origins of the Greenawalt family

The surname Greenawalt was first found in Durham where they held a family seat from very ancient times, as Lords of the manor of Greenwell in the parish of Walsingham, and are descended from Gulielmus the Presbyter who held those lands in 1183. His son James assumed the name of the lands, Greenwell. 1

"Greenwell is a very ancient Durham surname. The Greenwells of Stobilee, who carry their pedigree back to the beginning of the 16th century, seem to have been one of the principal stocks in modern times; the property of Broomshields has been for four centuries in the possession of a branch of this family." 2

Early History of the Greenawalt family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Greenawalt research. Another 96 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Greenawalt History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Greenawalt Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Greenawalt are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. The variations of the name Greenawalt include: Grenwell, Greenwell, Greenwall, Grenwall and others.

Early Notables of the Greenawalt family

More information is included under the topic Early Greenawalt Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Greenawalt Ranking

In the United States, the name Greenawalt is the 10,903^rd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 3

Greenawalt migration to the United States +

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Greenawalt or a variant listed above:

Greenawalt Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Rudolph Greenawalt, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1837 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Greenawalt (post 1700) +

Abraham Greenawalt (1834-1922), Union Army soldier during the American Civil War, recipient of the Medal of Honor
R. Kent Greenawalt (b. 1936), University Professor at Columbia Law School
Roger Greenawalt, American music producer and musician
David L. Greenawalt, American Republican politician, Presidential Elector for Pennsylvania, 1920 5

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 23) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html