The 2010 U.S. Census recorded 12,167 black Americans with Greer as their last name. That represented 21% of the total of 57,043 entries.
This article tracks their numbers in the census since the Civil War. We also look at historic African American people named Greer.
We end with a review of early records of black military service in the United States.
After The Civil War
The 1870 census was the first survey after the Civil War and the Emancipation Proclamation. In 1850 and 1860, only free African Americans were recorded in the census. The many enslaved were omitted.
From 1870 onward, all black Americans were included.
1,168 people named Greer were recorded in the 1870 census as black and 189 as mixed.
There was a total of 6,702 people with the name.
Greer In The 1900 And 1940 Census
The mixed category was dropped from the census in 1900, so we just need to look at the black numbers this time.
The 1900 census recorded 2,955 people with the last name Greer as black within a total of 15,136 that year.
By the way, the mixed category returned in the 1910 and 1920 censuses. It was dropped again in 1930, but replaced with extra categories for colored and non-white in a way that seems confusing now.
This changed again in 1940 and we can simply focus on one black category.
The 1940 census recorded 5,645 people named Greer as black within a total of 29,635.
Historic Black Figures With The Greer Surname
Here is a notable African American in history with Greer as their last name.
Bonnie Greer
- Born: 1948
- From: Chicago
Bonnie Greer grew up in Chicago on the West Side. She studied drama in Chicago before moving to New York where she joined the Actors Studio.
She was based in New York until the mid 1980s when she traveled to Edinburgh for a theater production. She later settled permanently in the United Kingdom.
Greer has served as Chancellor of Kingston University in London as well as holding other senior positions in English artistic institutions.
Greer In Black Military Records
Military records are a rich resource of information for family history research. Here are examples of the Greer surname from different military services:
- Buffalo soldiers
- Black civil war sailors
- Tuskegee airmen
Buffalo Soldiers
Five regiments for black soldiers were formed during the Civil War. They were known as the Buffalo Soldiers.
Their records are part of the national archive of military monthly returns. The information includes the year and place of birth, where they enlisted, their occupation, and their height.
One of the earliest military entries for Greer was in January 1876. Isom Greer was a Private in the U.S. Ninth Cavalry. He was stationed in January 1876 at Fort Clark, Texas.
Another entry was in December 1911. Lewis V. Greer was a Quartermaster in the U.S. Tenth Cavalry.
If you are researching military ancestors, there is a free index of these records on Ancestry.com and FamilySearch.org.
You have to create an account on either website, but you do not need to pay for the Buffalo Soldiers archive.
Black Civil War Sailors
The National Parks Service has a free archive of African American sailors during the Civil War.
The information includes their age, height, rank, occupation, and where and when they enlisted. It also includes every ship that they served on.
You can search the database on the National Parks website.
Ben Greer
One of the earliest entries for Greer was for Ben Greer from Wilmington, North Carolina. He enlisted in September 1862 at when he was aged 24.
The record shows that Ben was assigned on May 1863 to the ship Penebscot.
His occupation before enlisting was as a Servant. His naval rank was 2nd Class Boy.
“2nd Class Boy” was a rank generally given to seamen in training, who performed various manual tasks and duties aboard a ship under supervision.
This could prepare them for promotion to the rank of 1st class boy and then to ordinary seaman.
Henderson Greer
One of the later entries was for a sailor who enlisted at Memphis in September 1862. Henderson was aged 24 and was from Henderson County, Tennessee.
He was assigned to the ship New Era on October 1864.
His occupation before enlisting was as a Farmer/Laborer. His naval rank was 1st Class Boy.
Tuskegee Airmen
The Tuskegee Airmen were military personnel who served at the Tuskegee Army Airfield or related programs.
Nearly one thousand black pilots graduated from the Tuskegee Institute. They flew single-engine fighter planes or twin-engine bombers. 352 fought in combat.
James Greer graduated from the Tuskegee Institute in December 1944. He qualified as a fighter pilot. James was from Detroit, Michigan.