Greenall History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The name Greenall first arose amongst the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It is derived from their having lived in Greenhalg in Kirkham and Greenhalg Castle in Garstang. The surname Greenall originally derived from greene as n the village greene which was the center or main square of each region. Many inhabitants in various counties adopted this surname as part of their family's nomenclature. The surname Greenall is a topographic surname, which was given to a person who resided near a physical feature such as a hill, stream, church, or type of tree. Habitation names form the other broad category of surnames that were derived from place-names. They were derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads. Other local names are derived from the names of houses, manors, estates, regions, and entire counties. As a general rule, the greater the distance between an individual and their homeland, the larger the territory they were named after. For example, a person who only moved to another parish would be known by the name of their original village, while people who migrated to a different country were often known by the name of a region or country from which they came.

Early Origins of the Greenall family

The surname Greenall was first found in Shropshire where Richard de Grenhal was listed in the Pipe Rolls of 1230. A few years later, William de Grenol was listed in the Assize Rolls for Lancashire in 1246, as was Matill de Greenhalgh, William de Grenolf, de Grenholl in the Subsidy Rolls for 1332. 1

One branch originated in Greenhalgh (now known as Greenhalgh-with-Thistleton), a civil parish on the Fylde in Lancashire or possibly Greenhalgh, now Greenhalgh Castle, in Garstang parish, Lancashire, (spelt Greenhaugh) 2

"The Greenhalghs, who are best represented in the Middleton district, derive their name from a Lancashire township. During the 15th century, the Grenehalghs of Brandlesome were hereditary bailiffs of Tottington, and during the two succeeding centuries they gained and retained the position of gentry. The name of Thomas Greenhalgh occurs in the list of intended Knights of the Royal Oak, amongst those of other Lancashire gentlemen, the annual value of his estate being there placed at £1,000: this Order, however, which Charles II. intended as a reward for his followers, was never founded." 3

Early History of the Greenall family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Greenall research. Another 269 words (19 lines of text) covering the years 1246, 1576, 1584, 1591, 1599, 1611, 1613, 1615, 1635, 1644, 1646, 1648, 1651, 1652, 1655, 1658, 1661, 1669, 1671, 1672, 1676, 1679, 1708, 1740, 1791 and 1810 are included under the topic Early Greenall History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Greenall Spelling Variations

One relatively recent invention that did much to standardize English spelling was the printing press. However, before its invention even the most literate people recorded their names according to sound rather than spelling. The spelling variations under which the name Greenall has appeared include Greenhalgh, Greenhow, Greenhough, Greenhall and others.

Early Notables of the Greenall family

Distinguished members of the family include William Greenhill (1591-1671), an English nonconformist clergyman from Oxfordshire, independent minister, and member of the Westminster Assembly; Thomas Greenhill (1611?-1658), an English colonial administrator, one of the early pioneers of the East India Company and the Agent of Madras for two terms (1648-1652) and (1655-1658); Elizabeth Greenhill, (1615-1679), who bore 39 children alive, and baptised, the last of whom was Thomas Greenhill (1669?-1740), English surgeon to Henry Howard, 7th Duke of Norfolk; Henry Greenhill (1646-1708), Agent-General at...
Another 83 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Greenall Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Greenall migration to the United States +

At this time, the shores of the New World beckoned many English families that felt that the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. Thousands left England at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. A great portion of these settlers never survived the journey and even a greater number arrived sick, starving, and without a penny. The survivors, however, were often greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. These English settlers made significant contributions to those colonies that would eventually become the United States and Canada. An examination of early immigration records and passenger ship lists revealed that people bearing the name Greenall arrived in North America very early:

Greenall Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Hy Greenall, aged 20, arrived in New York in 1893 aboard the ship "Campania" from Liverpool, England 4

Greenall Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

John Greenall, aged 25, arrived in New York in 1919 from Liverpool, England 4
William Sydney Greenall, aged 35, originally from London, England, arrived in New York in 1921 aboard the ship "Cedric" from Liverpool, England 4
Phyllis E. Greenall, aged 19, arrived in New York in 1921 aboard the ship "Cedric" from Liverpool, England 4

Greenall migration to Australia +

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

Greenall Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. John Greenall, English convict who was convicted in Preston, Lancashire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Bangalore" on 28th March 1848, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) from Bermuda 5

Contemporary Notables of the name Greenall (post 1700) +

Thomas Greenall, English founder of Greenall's Brewery in St Helens, Merseyside in 1762
Fin Greenall (b. 1972), English singer-songwriter, producer and DJ
Gilbert Greenall (1867-1938), 1st Baron Daresbury, English businessman and politician, High Sheriff of Cheshire in 1907
Sir Gilbert Greenall (1806-1894), 1st Baronet, English businessman and politician
Douglas "Doug" or "Duggie" Greenall (1927-2007), English rugby league footballer and coach
Colin Greenall (b. 1963), English former professional footballer who made over 600 Football League appearances from 1980 to 1999
Simon Greenall (b. 1958), British actor, best known for his role as Michael in the BBC TV series I'm Alan Partridge

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Baines Thomas & William Fairbairn, Lancashire and Cheshire, Past and Present History of Counties London: William MacKenzie, 1867, Digital, 4 vols
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Ellis Island Search retrieved 15th November 2022. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 15th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bangalore