Surname Greenan - Meaning and Origin
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Greenan: What does the surname Greenan mean?
The last name Greenan is of Irish origin. It is an anglicized form of the Irish name O'Grennain, derived from the Gaelic words "O" which means descendant of, and "Grennain," a personal name thought to originate from the word "grianain," which translates to "sun."
It is likely that originally, the Greenan family hailed from a region of Leinster known as Móin Grenan, which translates to "the bog of Grenan," and which was named after the Greenan ancestor. Later on, members of the Greenan family likely spread out across Ireland.
Today, the surname can be found all across Ireland as well as in other countries, such as England, Australia, Scotland, and the United States. Some modern-day famous people with the Greenan surname include famous Australian rugby player, Bernie Greenan, and American Festival director, Chris Greenan.
The Greenan surname is an embodiment of the perseverance and resilience of the Irish people. Despite being displaced multiple times through war, famine, and colonization, the Greenan name and its rich history is testament to the strength and adaptability of the Irish people.
Order DNA origin analysisGreenan: Where does the name Greenan come from?
The last name Greenan is most commonly found in Ireland, the United Kingdom and the United States.
In Ireland, the name is strongly associated with the counties of Galway and County Mayo, particularly in the region of Connemara. Clans associated with the name can trace their origins back to the thirteenth century and around that time, the Irish surname Greenan was derived from the first name Gréine, meaning 'sun' or 'sun ray'.
In the United Kingdom, the name is sparsely found mainly due to immigration from Ireland. Those with the surname Greenan are more likely to be living in areas with sizeable Irish populations such as Manchester, Liverpool, Glasgow and London.
In the United States, the surname is mainly found among immigrants from Ireland and the United Kingdom. Many of them arrived in the USA as part of the Irish diaspora during the Great Famine of the mid-1800s. In 2020, those with the surname are most likely to reside in cities such as New York City, Boston and Philadelphia.
Overall, the last name Greenan is flourishing today with bearers of the name located in Europe, North America and other places throughout the world, with strong concentrations in Ireland, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Variations of the surname Greenan
The surname Greenan is believed to be of Irish origin and has multiple alternative spellings and variants. The most common spellings include Greenan, Grenan, Greanan, Greann, Grianan, Greineen, Grenin, Grynin, Greanan, Greanin, Grinin, and Gronin.
One theory suggests that the name was derived from the Irish Gaelic Ó Gréine “son of Gréine”, which in turn comes from the word “gréine” meaning sun, while another explains how the Greenan surname was adopted by a clan of O'Houlihans who moved from County Carlow to County Tipperary sometime during the 11th century.
The Greenan surname is also sometimes referred to as Grannon, O'Greenan, O'Granan, O'Grennan, MacGreenan, McGrainan, McGranan, McGrannan, McGrennan, and Grianan.
The Greenan surname has migrated from its original Irish homeland to many countries around the world, giving rise to a variety of different spellings.
Common variations of the surname include Grenn, Grein, Greinang, Grennin, Greanin, Gree, Grenon, Grentz, Green, Greune, Grentz, Grenaan, O'Granon, O'Grainan, and O'Granan.
The Greenan surname is also linked to numerous spelling variants such as MacGreenan, MacGrainan, MacGrennan, Gannan, Gannin, Gainin, Geannan, Ginnin, Gannon, Ginnon, and Ginnan.
The Anglicized versions of the Greenan surname are Green, Greene, Greenberg, Greener, and Greenhill. The Greenamn surname is also believed to be a variation of the original spelling, Greenan.
The Greenan family name is most commonly found in Ireland, particularly in the counties of County Carlow, County Kilkenny, and County Tipperary. The family is also associated with County Wexford, County Mayo, County Kerry, County Clare, and County Cork, as well as England, Scotland, the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
Famous people with the name Greenan
- John Greenan: Real estate professional located in Denver, Colorado, USA.
- Justin Greenan: Canadian professional ice hockey player who plays for the Örebro Hockey of the Swedish Hockey League (SHL).
- Séamus Greenan: Irish hurler who plays for Ballingarry and Tradaree GAA.
- Meyer Greenan: South African rugby union player.
- Michael Greenan: Former professional American football player who played as a running back in the National Football League (NFL).
- Pat Greenan: Retired Canadian professional ice hockey player who played one game in the National Hockey League (NHL).
- Stephen Greenan: Irish former hurler who played as a full-forward for the Kilkenny senior hurling team.
- Fraser Greenan: Scottish female footballer who plays as a midfielder for Forfar Farmington F.C. in the Scottish Women's Premier League.
- Robert Greenan: Council Member and former mayor of the city of Huntington Beach, California.
- Paul Greenan: Hospice physician and pastoral care provider.