Is the surname Greenlese, English?

Question

Is the surname Greenlese, English?

Answer 1

http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Search/f...

has

10. AVELYN GREENLESE - International Genealogical Index / BI

Gender: Female Christening: 22 SEP 1594 Swanton Morley, Norfolk, England



11. George GREENLESE - International Genealogical Index / BI

Gender: Male Birth: 1786 , , Ireland



12. GEORGIUS GREENLESE - International Genealogical Index / BI

Gender: Male Christening: 17 MAY 1579 Swanton Morley, Norfolk, England



13. JOHES. GREENLESE - International Genealogical Index / BI

Gender: Male Christening: 20 JUL 1598 Swanton Morley, Norfolk, England



14. Marthata GREENLESE - International Genealogical Index / BI

Gender: Female Birth: 1820 , , England



15. RICHARDUS GREENLESE - International Genealogical Index / BI

Gender: Male Christening: 20 APR 1590 Swanton Morley, Norfolk, England



16. WILLMUS. GREENLESE - International Genealogical Index / BI

Gender: Male Christening: 16 MAR 1588 Swanton Morley, Norfolk, England



so therehave been Greenleses in England since the late 1500's. They may have snuck over from France or Switzerland in 1550, or have been there from the time of the Celts.

Answer 2

Greenlees  

Last name origin & meaning:

Scottish: habitational name from (East or West) Greenlees in Lanarkshire, named from Older Scots grēne ‘green’ + ley(s) ‘piece of open country’, later ‘meadow’.

Greenlee  

Last name origin & meaning:

English: habitational name from any of various minor places, for example in Staffordshire, so named from Old English grēne ‘green’ + lēah ‘woodland clearing’.

Greenley    

Last name origin & meaning:

English: variant spelling of Greenlee.

Answer 3

I suspect it may be and if it is, its origins to England may go back quite far depending on where your family has traveled.  The name Green goes back to Old English. The suffix -lese (lèse) is probably from French.  Based on word origins, with the combination of Green and -lese I suspect it to go back very far as the Norman conquest after 1066 and as recent as 14th century.  That seems to be a broad catagory and only with records from your family will you be able to pinpoint exact information though.  Orthography really wasn't consistant for English until much later and so there may be alternative spellings for the same name.