Greenfield History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms 

Origins Available: 
  England 


Early Origins of the Greenfield family

The surname Greenfield was first found in Suffolk where Peter de Grenefeld was listed in the Feet of Fines for 1242. Later, John de Grenefeud was listed in the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex in 1296. The name literally means "dweller by the green field." 1

The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 including Willelmus Grenefeld and Elena Grenefeld as holding lands there at that time. 2

William of Greenfield (d. 1315), was "Archbishop of York and Chancellor, was of good family and a kinsman of Archbishop Walter Giffard, and of Bishop Godfrey Giffard of Worcester. The statement that he was born in Cornwall is probably due to a confusion of him with the Grenvilles. A more probable conjecture connects him with a hamlet which bears his name in Lincolnshire." 3

Indeed, Greenfield is a hamlet, "in the parish of Aby, union of Louth, Marsh division of the hundred of Calceworth, parts of Lindsey, county of Lincoln." 4

Early History of the Greenfield family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Greenfield research. Another 162 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1079, 1091, 1399, 1510, 1528 and 1600 are included under the topic Early Greenfield History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Greenfield Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, Anglo-Norman surnames like Greenfield are characterized by many spelling variations. 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. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages such as Norman French and Latin, even literate people regularly changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Greenfield include Greenfield, Greenfeild, Greenville, Greenvile and others.

Early Notables of the Greenfield family

Notable amongst the family at this time was

Greenfield Ranking

In the United States, the name Greenfield is the 2,863rd most popular surname with an estimated 9,948 people with that name. 5


Greenfield migration to the United States +

Faced with the chaos present in England at that time, many English families looked towards the open frontiers of the New World with its opportunities to escape oppression and starvation. People migrated to North America, as well as Australia and Ireland in droves, paying exorbitant rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, but those who did see the shores of North America were welcomed with great opportunity. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America carried the name Greenfield, or a variant listed above:

Greenfield Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
Greenfield Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
Greenfield Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Greenfield migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Greenfield Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Greenfield migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Greenfield Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Greenfield migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Greenfield Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Contemporary Notables of the name Greenfield (post 1700) +
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