Renee first name popularity, history and meaning

Find out how popular the first name Renee has been for the last 50 years (from 1974 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Meaning of Renee

Meaning "reborn", a feminine name of French origin.

Popularity of Renee by gender

Based on the last 50 years of data, Renee is more commonly used as a female name, with approximately 99% of people named Renee being female.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 229 female babies and 0 male babies born with the name Renee.

Year Male Count Female Count
2023 0 229
2022 8 237
2021 6 220
2020 0 242
2019 5 266
2018 0 241
2017 0 276
2016 6 259
2015 0 241
2014 5 282
2013 0 288
2012 0 296
2011 8 318
2010 5 309
2009 0 367
2008 16 406
2007 10 411
2006 0 504
2005 13 529
2004 14 620
2003 10 665
2002 14 694
2001 17 754
2000 32 826
1999 20 819
1998 17 870
1997 21 944
1996 16 956
1995 14 986
1994 27 1,051
1993 16 1,133
1992 21 1,340
1991 24 1,409
1990 28 1,573
1989 37 1,659
1988 31 1,892
1987 28 2,049
1986 35 2,214
1985 21 2,441
1984 23 2,584
1983 29 2,847
1982 35 2,893
1981 19 2,997
1980 32 2,841
1979 31 2,979
1978 33 2,970
1977 38 3,259
1976 33 3,314
1975 35 3,407
1974 42 3,528

The history of the first name Renee

The name Renee is a French feminine form of the male name René, derived from the Germanic name Reinald, which is composed of the elements "ragin" meaning "counsel" and "wald" meaning "rule". It is believed to have originated in the 8th century.

The name René has its roots in the Late Latin name Renatus, meaning "reborn" or "born again". It was brought into widespread use by early Christians as a name for converts to the faith. The feminine form Renee emerged in the Middle Ages, particularly in France and other areas influenced by French culture.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Renee is found in the 12th century, referring to Renee of Anjou (1109–1153), a French noblewoman and Countess of Grignon. Another early bearer of the name was Renee of France (1510–1574), the daughter of King Louis XII of France and Anne of Brittany.

Renee was a popular name among European royalty and nobility during the Renaissance period. Notable examples include Renée of Ferrara (1510–1558), a French princess who became Duchess of Ferrara, and Renee of Lorraine (1544–1602), a French princess who was the granddaughter of King Francis I of France.

In the 17th century, the name Renee was borne by Renée Élisabeth de Brinon (1630–1706), a French educator and founder of the Society of the Blessed Sacrament. Another prominent figure was Renée Descartes (1615–1668), the daughter of the famous philosopher René Descartes.

During the 18th century, the name Renee was carried by Renée-Élisabeth Marlier (1714–1786), a French painter and engraver, and Renée-Agathe de Rancourt (1755–1794), a French actress and playwright.

In the 19th century, Renee became a more widely used name, especially in France and the United States. Notable bearers of the name from this period include Renée Adorée (1898–1933), a French-American actress, and Renée Vivien (1877–1909), a British-French writer and poet.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Renee was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Renee, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Renee first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on December 13, 2024. http://namecensus.com/first-names/renee-meaning-and-history/.

"Renee first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/first-names/renee-meaning-and-history/. Accessed 13 December, 2024

Renee first name popularity, history and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/first-names/renee-meaning-and-history/.

Search for a name

Search for a first or last name to learn more about its origin, meaning, and more.

Simple as that.