Greenwald History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The Anglo-Saxon name Greenwald comes from when the family resided 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 Greenwald family

The surname Greenwald 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 Greenwald family

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

Greenwald Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore,spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Greenwald has been recorded under many different variations, including Grenwell, Greenwell, Greenwall, Grenwall and others.

Early Notables of the Greenwald family

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

Greenwald Ranking

In the United States, the name Greenwald is the 6,126^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 3

Greenwald migration to the United States +

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Greenwald or a variant listed above:

Greenwald Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

J Greenwald, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1855 4
John Greenwald, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1868 4
A Greenwald, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1872 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Greenwald (post 1700) +

Howard "Hank" Greenwald (1935-2018), American Major League Baseball announcer for the San Francisco Giants
Ken Greenwald, American Academy Award nominated producer and actor, known for Good Morning (1971), Dark Readings (2009) and Turn-On (1969)
Robert Greenwald (b. 1945), American three-time Primetime Emmy Award nominated producer, known for Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch's War on Journalism (2004), Steal This Movie (2000) and Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price (2005)
Maggie Greenwald (b. 1955), American multiple award winning director and writer, known for Songcatcher (2000), The Ballad of Little Jo (1993) and Get a Clue (2002)
Alex Greenwald (b. 1979), American composer, known for his work on The Amazing Spider-Man (2012), The O.C. (2003) and No Strings Attached (2011)
Glenn Greenwald (b. 1967), American writer, known for Citizenfour (2014), Terminal F/Chasing Edward Snowden (2015) and Democracy Now! (2001)
Todd J. Greenwald, American two-time Primetime Emmy Award winning television producer and writer, best known for Wizards of Waverly Place (2007), Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie (2009) and The Wizards Return: Alex vs. Alex (2013)
Samuel W. Greenwald, American Republican politician, Candidate for New York State Assembly from New York County 6th District, 1944 5
Ronald Greenwald, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Massachusetts, 1972 5
Meyer Greenwald, American politician, Candidate for New York State Assembly from Kings County 3rd District, 1929 5
... (Another 3 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

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 13) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html