Renauld
Old German name meaning "brave counsel" or "ruler's advisor".
Name Census estimates that about 36 living Americans carry the first name Renauld. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Renauld today is around 49 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Renauld births was 1978 (12 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Renauld. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Renauld. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
36
~ 1 in 9,520,954 Americans
Peak year
1978
12 babies that year
Average age
49
years old
1983 SSA rank
#4,827
Tracked since 1970
Popularity
Renauld: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Renauld from the 1970s through to the 1980s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 20 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Renauld by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Renauld during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Renaulds live
Origin
Meaning and history of Renauld
The name Renauld originated from the French language and culture, with its roots tracing back to the Middle Ages. It is a variant of the Germanic name Reginald, which is derived from the Old Frankish words "ragin" meaning "counsel" and "waldan" meaning "to rule" or "to govern."
In the early medieval period, the name Renauld gained popularity in France and neighboring regions. It was often associated with nobility and those in positions of authority, reflecting the meaning of its origins. The name can be found in various historical records and chronicles from that era.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Renauld can be found in the 11th century, with Renauld de Châtillon, a French nobleman and military leader who participated in the First Crusade. Another notable figure was Renauld de Dammartin, a French knight and trouvère (lyric poet) from the 13th century, known for his contributions to courtly literature and poetry.
During the Renaissance, the name Renauld continued to be prevalent among the French aristocracy. Renauld de Pons, born in 1499, was a French nobleman and military commander who served under King Francis I and played a significant role in the Italian Wars of the 16th century.
In the 17th century, Renauld Descartes, born in 1596, was a renowned French philosopher, mathematician, and scientist. He is widely regarded as the father of modern philosophy and is best known for his philosophical statement, "I think, therefore I am" (Cogito, ergo sum).
Another notable figure bearing the name Renauld was Renauld Le Bovier de Fontenelle, a French author and philosopher born in 1657. He was a prominent figure in the French Enlightenment and served as the perpetual secretary of the Académie des Sciences in Paris.
While the name Renauld has its roots in the French language and culture, it has also been adopted and used in various other regions and languages over time. However, its origins and historical significance remain closely tied to the French cultural and linguistic heritage.
People
Renauld + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Renauld as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with R
Other first names starting with R with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Renauld: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Renauld?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 36 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Renauld going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 9,520,954 US residents.
Is Renauld a common name?
We classify Renauld as "Very Rare". It ranks above 49.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 39 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Renauld most popular?
The single biggest year for Renauld was 1978, when 12 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Renauld is about 49 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Renauld a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Renauld in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.