Fun Facts About the Name Greenlee
- 841 babies named Greenlee: U.S. records list 841 babies given the name Greenlee from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Greenlee Mean?
Greenlee is an English habitational surname and, as a first name, a transferred use of that surname. It means 'green woodland clearing' or 'green meadow' and comes from Old English grēne 'green' and lēah 'woodland clearing, glade, meadow.' The literal sense is a place description rather than a symbolic or spiritual meaning. The second element is the same lēah seen in many English place names ending in -ley, -lee, or -leigh. In Scotland, the similar surname Greenlees comes from a place of that name and has the same 'green meadow' sense; Greenlee may sometimes be a shortened form of it, though the English place-name explanation is the usual one for Greenlee itself.
Greenlee Name History & Origins
The elements behind Greenlee go back to the Old English period, when grēne and lēah were common in place naming. In Middle English the second element appears in forms such as lee, ley, and lea, and the surname arose for someone who lived at or came from a green clearing or meadow. The surname and its close variant Greenlees are associated with northern England and Scotland; Greenlee is a place name in Northumberland. The surname was later carried to North America by immigrants from Britain and Ireland.
As a given name, Greenlee is a modern transferred surname use rather than an inherited traditional personal name. It remains rare. A familiar fictional bearer is Greenlee Smythe on the American soap opera All My Children; that fictional use belongs to the modern period and is separate from the surname's older history.
How Popular is the Name Greenlee?
Greenlee has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2010. Its best rank was #2,990 in 2010.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #8,542 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2024 | #9,113 | 11 | 0.0007% |
| 2023 | #6,034 | 20 | 0.0012% |
| 2022 | #6,538 | 18 | 0.0011% |
| 2021 | #9,177 | 11 | 0.0007% |
| 2020 | #7,692 | 14 | 0.0009% |
| 2019 | #6,819 | 17 | 0.0010% |
| 2018 | #4,695 | 29 | 0.0017% |
| 2017 | #4,021 | 37 | 0.0021% |
| 2016 | #4,190 | 35 | 0.0020% |
| 2015 | #3,500 | 45 | 0.0025% |
| 2014 | #3,201 | 51 | 0.0029% |
| 2013 | #3,058 | 54 | 0.0031% |
| 2012 | #3,229 | 51 | 0.0029% |
| 2011 | #3,426 | 47 | 0.0027% |
| 2010 | #2,990 | 57 | 0.0032% |
| 2009 | #3,138 | 54 | 0.0029% |
| 2008 | #3,066 | 56 | 0.0030% |
| 2007 | #3,940 | 40 | 0.0021% |
| 2006 | #3,582 | 44 | 0.0023% |
| 2005 | #3,183 | 49 | 0.0027% |
| 2004 | #3,705 | 39 | 0.0021% |
| 2003 | #4,587 | 28 | 0.0015% |
| 2002 | #7,185 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 2001 | #12,514 | 7 | 0.0004% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
Explore More Lists with Name Greenlee
Most Popular Girl Names That Start with G
How the Name Greenlee Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You are introspective, prophetic, philosophical, and soul searching, but also can be analytical, critical and opinionated. You think deeply and clearly, have an air of mystery, can be solitary and secretive. You have an eventful, exciting life. You are versatile and have the ability to learn easily.
Position and social status is very important for you and you are always looking for way to improve your position in society. You have power and ability to chose your own destiny and achieve anything you want in life. You can expand in any direction according to your will and the set of values. You have passion for justice and belong to the position of authority. You have an inherent courage and endurance to accomplish "The Impossible Dream". With the power comes responsibility. You hold keys to the material world, but with this gift comes high spiritual responsibility to be fair and true to others. You are philosophical and mature, determined and intense with a desire to endure, often religious.
✦ Greenlee's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Greenlee's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.