Genealogy Chat

I am the great nephew of Greenland Fox who was born in Crook, County Durham 1878. I am fascinated by the choice of his first name, as his siblings had relatively normal names. Can anyone shine a light on this unusual name.
David White

You might be interested in other 'Greenland's' on Familysearch. Might be relatives among these who may be worth researching.


1. GRINLING GIBBONS - International Genealogical Index
Gender: Male Christening: 28 MAY 1675 St Bride Fleet St, London, London, England
2. GRINLING JOSEPH BISCOE - International Genealogical Index
Gender: Male Christening: 30 JUL 1718 Saint Luke, Chelsea, London, England
3. Grinlin Joseph - International Genealogical Index
Gender: Birth: JUL 1718 , London, England
4. Grinling or Gridling Gibbons - International Genealogical Index
Gender: Male Death: 03 AUG 1721 Of, , London, England
5. Greenland Brown - International Genealogical Index
Gender: Male Christening: 30 MAR 1726 Goudhurst, Kent, England
6. Greenland Brown - International Genealogical Index
Gender: Male Christening: 30 MAR 1726 Goudhurst, Kent, England
7. GREENLAND BROWN - International Genealogical Index
Gender: Male Christening: 30 MAR 1726 Goudhurst, Kent, England
8. Greenland Turner - International Genealogical Index
Gender: Male Christening: 08 SEP 1810 Frome, Somerset, England
9. GREENLAND FOX - International Genealogical Index
Gender: Male Marriage: 12 OCT 1814 West Or Old Parish, Greenock, Renfrew, Scotland
10. GREENLAND FOX - International Genealogical Index
Gender: Male Marriage: 16 MAY 1836 Low Church, Paisley, Renfrew, Scotland
11. GREENLAND FOX - International Genealogical Index
Gender: Male Marriage: 01 FEB 1841 Edinburgh Parish, Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland
12. GREENLAND FOX - International Genealogical Index
Gender: Male Marriage: 28 JUL 1850 Glasgow, Lanark, Scotland
13. GREENLAND FOX - International Genealogical Index
Gender: Male Marriage: 06 SEP 1861 Milton, Glasgow, Lanark, Scotland
14. Greenland Thompson Fedener - International Genealogical Index
Gender: Male Birth: 1865 Bankend, Lanark, Scotland
15. GREENLAND FOX - International Genealogical Index
Gender: Male Marriage: 18 OCT 1870 Central District, Glasgow, Lanark, Scotland
16. Grinling Gibbons - International Genealogical Index
Gender: Birth: , London, England

Named after a relative, in commemoration?
Deaths Jun 1876
Fox Greenland 26 Auckland 10a 109
From a mother's maiden name, if not the country?

On freeBMD there are 16 Greenland events, 9 of them having the surname Fox. The 9 are three births, five marriages and one death.

It looks like your Greenland Fox was born in the last quarter of 1877 rather than in 1878.

Births Dec 1877
FOX Greenland Auckland 10a 236

Hello unknown,

If you put the name Greenland Fox into the Search Trees box above (in the dark green bar), you wlll see that several other members have him in their tree.

There are also other Greenland Fox's dating from 1850 through to 1919.

You can contact the tree owners for further information. Cx.

Without being able to ask the parents, one cannot hope to find out why the name was given to the child.