Where the name Greene came from is explained in the book titled, "The Greenes of Rhode Island with Historical Records of English Ancestry 1534-1902" compiled from the MSS. of the late Major-General George Sears Greene, U.S.V. by Louise Brownell Clarke. Published in New York in 1903 as follows: Quote "OF THE ORIGINAL, ANTIQUITY, NAME, ARMS, ALLIANCES, GREATNESS AND POSSESSIONS OF THE HOUSE OF GREENE." Of the original of the House of Greene we have no certain information, but it is apparent they assumed their Name and Arms from an allusion to their principal and beloved lordship, which was Buckton, or the Town of Bucks, in the county of Northampton, being in the Hundred of Spelho, a place memorable for the excellency of its soil and situation and a spacious and delightful green upon which, at the desire of the Lords, was yearly held and exercised a Fair with particular and extraordinary privilege. Hence they were called "Greene" or "of the Greene." And from Buckton or the town of Bucks they have assumed for their Arms in a field azure Three bucks trippant, or In the first mention of the family, we find it in a very flourishing condition, possessed of the Manor of Buckton from which the Lords thereof did take their usual style as also of the lordships of Heyborne, Heydmoncourte, Dadington, Ashby Mares and Grene's Norton, the latter whereof was held by particular obligation of holding up the lord's right hand toward the King upon christmas day wherever he should be at that time in England. And of these was Lord Sir thomas of Buckton, or Sir thomas Grene of Buckton who lived in the reign of King Edward the first. Of these Grenes we find divers to have been qualified by their riches and pwoer and the esteem they held for the principal employments in the counties where they lived. among the other advantages of this House the great blood of which it was participant did honor it very much, it having had the fortune to ally itself to the great Houses of Stafford, De La Zouche, Mauduit, Talbot, Ferrers of Chartley and Rosse, all of the illustrious and old nobility. But at last, coming to the fortune of all transitory things, it concluded in Sir Henry Grene who, being without issue male, the Arms, blood and inheritance of this family came by a daughter to the Veres that were Lords of Addington and from them by another heir to the present Earl of Peterborough.----Halstead. ORIGIN OF THE NAME The following memorandum attached to, or a part of the parchment pedigree of the "House of Greene" presented to the Boston Athenaeum Library in 1881 by Williaqm Batchelder Greene, was possibly made by Mr. burt, the compiler of the chart. The theory as to the origin of the name Grene or Greene is well worthy of consideration, and the three points upon which the connection of Sir Henry Grene, Lord Chief Justice of England, is based, are certainly sufficiently strong to awaken the interest of all those who bear the name in America. "HOUSE OF GREENE LORDS OF BUCKTON, ETC., COUNTY NORTHAMPTONSHIRE." On origin: "The name of this family is not of Saxon or Scandinavian origin as its present form might suggest, such as Wood, Vale, Green, etc., names taken from localities and found in almost every country of modern Great Britain. During the 12th & 13th centuries flourished a number of minor Barons (i.e., not possessing more, or as much as, thirteen knight's fees and a quarter) bearing the name of Dela Greene (or Grene) in Co. Northampton. Sir Henry Greene, Lord of Buckton, may be counted with these by three facts; First, that on one of his seals attached to an Indenture now in the archives of theBritish Museum, is found the inscription---'Sigill (Henri) ci Grene, Milit,' (this in old English characters); Secondly, that the said Sir Henry held his lands in capite by the same service as the feudal lords before mentioned, i.e., by lifting up the right hand on Michaelmas Day wherver the King should be in England (Harl. MSS.); Thirdly, all these claim much the same family alliances (as found on their various records and on their tombs). Tracing the name further back, we find the name De la Grene replaced by Del Grene (the latter seems to have been one of the latest of the Lords of the township of Newsholm) and before the Norman Conquest the name of Greene disappears all together and we are said to find Grini or Del Grini in counties York and Northampton. this would show the great antiquity of the family as well as suggest a Latin origin. It is worthy of note that a patrician family existed at Rome, shortly after the Roman conquest, of the same name, and that the nameis still borne by certain nobles in the northern part of Italy near Belluno. In addition to the above memorandum are a few notes on the opposite upper corner of the chart; the first giving names and baptisms of the children of John Greene, whoemigrated to the American colonies, and others referring to General Nathanael Greene of the Revolutionary Army and descendant of said John; also to that line of his descendants who settled in New Hampshire (records now partially erased); and to the Gardiner Greenes and Copley-Greenes of Boston. In another handwriting is a note relating to the Greenes of Ireland on the authority of Burke, being endorsed, "signed by Sir Bernard Burke." It has special interest in connection with the recently published pedigree following "Greene's Norton, Northamptonshire," where descent is claimed by this Irish branch from the Northamptonshire family, though proof is not conclusive. UNQUOTE This is probably more than you wanted to know. I found it interesting though. I have a copy of the book that the info above is taken from. I hope this is helpful to you. Best Regard, Liz Greene Sparks