The Greer surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 57,043 people carried this name — #590 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 5,170 people counted. That is up 4% from 54,611 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Greer surname

A patronymic Scottish surname from Scots Gregor (“Gregory”).

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Greer» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

In Ireland’s birth registers, 1890

Ireland registered 63 births for the Greer name in 1890.

They were registered in all four provinces, most of all in Ulster. By the Registrar-General’s own method — births multiplied by 44.38 — that is about 2,800 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Where they were born, 1890

Ulster 58
Leinster 2
Munster 2
Connacht 1

Registrar-General for Ireland, «Special Report on Surnames in Ireland» (R. E. Matheson, 1894), births index of 1890 — public domain.

In Belgium’s population register

At least 35 people named Greer live in Belgium.

Statbel only publishes a name in a municipality when five or more people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Walloon Brabant.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they live today

Walloon Brabant 23
Hainaut 12

Statbel (Statistics Belgium), family names of the population by municipality, 1 January 2026 — CC BY 4.0.

In Scotland’s registers today

Greer was recorded 29 times in Scotland’s registers of births, marriages and deaths in 2025.

That made it the 845th most common name in those registers, shared with others on the same count. In 1975, the first year of the series, the count was 41. Each birth counts the child’s surname, each marriage both partners’ and each death the surname of the person who died — a yearly count of registrations, not of the people who live in Scotland.

National Records of Scotland, «Most Common Surnames, 2025» (published 26 May 2026): every surname recorded 10 or more times in the 2025 registers, and the series from 1975 · different spellings are counted separately — © Crown copyright 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

104 families named Greer, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 607 people lived in those households, 5.8 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 6 other spellings. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

Pennsylvania 51
North Carolina 20
South Carolina 18
New York 6
Maryland 5
Virginia 2
Vermont 1
Connecticut 1

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 243 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Greer in American newspapers,
1895–1911.

Newspaper page from The Semi-weekly Leader carrying the name Greer
The Semi-weekly Leader 1907-11-06
Newspaper page from The Semi-weekly Leader carrying the name Greer
The Semi-weekly Leader 1911-02-08
Newspaper page from The Free Press carrying the name Greer
The Free Press 1895-03-21

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 238,375 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Greer in Australian newspapers,
1830s–2010s.

28,580 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Greer. The most, 4,540, date from the 1920s. New South Wales has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in Queensland, at 1.3 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 10,292
Victoria 6,677
Queensland 6,654
South Australia 2,389
Western Australia 1,674
Tasmania 689
ACT (Canberra) 119
Northern Territory 7

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Greer.

Who carried it

People named Greer,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Henry Greer
    Henry Greer 1821–1886 · military officer
  • Allen James Greer
    Allen James Greer 1878–1964 · military officer
  • Frank Greer
    Frank Greer 1879–1943 · rower
  • Howard Greer
    Howard Greer 1886–1974 · costume designer
  • Sonny Greer
    Sonny Greer 1895–1982 · composer

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 319 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Greer,
in the records of 7 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States3,886 records

3,886 records of the Greer name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 1,849
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 776
  • Other U.S. records 1,261
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Vincent H. Greer

    Born 1915 in North Carolina. Enlisted 1942 at Fort Bragg; sales clerk from Wilkes County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 2000, buried at Salisbury National Cemetery, North Carolina.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Hannah Greer

    Arrived at New York in 1892 aboard the City of Rome from Glasgow and Moville, aged 22; servant. From Derry, Ireland; bound for Jersey City.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)
  3. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Harry Charles Greer

    Born 1948; from Louisville, Mississippi. U.S. Army, infantryman; died of wounds 1970 in Phuoc Long, South Vietnam.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)

Showing 3 of 3,886 records for Greer in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · City of Asheville (public domain, PDDL) · New York State, Open NY (police and firefighter memorial rolls). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain).

Australia702 records

702 records of the Greer name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 344
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 167
  • Other Australian records 191
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Thomas Greer

    Transported to New South Wales aboard the Asia, arriving 1837; ticket of leave 1844.

    Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Geo W. Greer

    Arrived in Victoria in 1885 aboard the Austral, aged 29; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Samuel Greer

    Retired miner of Wonthaggi, Victoria; died 1982.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 702 records for Greer in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · ACT Government, Transport Canberra and City Services (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

Canada140 records

140 records of the Greer name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 52
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 39
  • Other Canadian records 49
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Edwin Wesley Greer

    Buried in 1910 at Union Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 18.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Mary Rosella Greer

    Died 1934 in Woodside, Halifax, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  3. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record Thomas Greer

    Died in service in 1919.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.

Showing 3 of 140 records for Greer in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · City of Niagara Falls. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Niagara Falls. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0).

New Zealand24 records

24 records of the Greer name in New Zealand
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 19
  • Marlborough District cemetery records 5
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record James Greer

    Died 1931, aged 75; buried at Sydenham Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Shirley Rose Greer

    Died 1996, aged 55; buried at Fairhall Cemetery, Marlborough.

    Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record William Greer

    Died 1892, aged 65; buried at Linwood Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 24 records for Greer in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

United Kingdom18 records

18 records of the Greer name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 12
  • Stirling Council burial records 5
  • Scottish rolls of honour, First World War 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Christina Greer

    Buried in 1936 at Killearn Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland, aged 33.

    Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record H. Greer

    Royal Irish Rifles. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record David Greer

    Died 1999, aged 68; buried at Bannockburn Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland.

    Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Showing 3 of 18 records for Greer in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Netherlands4 records

4 records of the Greer name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch population registers 3
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 1
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Clifford Arthur Greer

    Married in 1946 in Groningen.

    Open Archives, Groninger Archieven (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Gerharda H. Greer

    In the population register of Grootschermer Noordeinde; born 1802 in Grootschermer Noordeinde.

    Open Archives, Regionaal Archief Alkmaar (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Maria Cornelia Greer

    In the population register of Amsterdam; born 1781 in Amsterdam.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Amsterdam (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 4 records for Greer in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

France1 record

1 record of the Greer name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Marcel Greer

    Born 1919 in Belgium; died 1992 in Belgium.

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Greer.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Greer is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

See the Greer volume
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