Renn
A unisex name possibly derived from the Old English word "ren" meaning journey.
Name Census estimates that about 569 living Americans carry the first name Renn. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 59.2% of registrations being male. The average person named Renn today is around 14 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Renn births was 2023 (62 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Renn. 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.
People living today
569
~ 1 in 602,380 Americans
Peak year
2023
62 babies that year
Average age
14
years old
2024 SSA rank
#5,186
Tracked since 1936
Gender
Gender distribution for Renn
Renn is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 581 total registrations, 344 (59.2%) were male and 237 (40.8%) were female.
Renn as a male name
- Ranked #5,186 in 2024
- 19 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2023 (20 births)
Renn as a female name
- Ranked #5,247 in 2024
- 25 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2023 (42 births)
Popularity
Renn: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Renn from the 1930s through to the 2020s, spanning 8 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 228 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
Renn 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 Renn during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Renns live
Origin
Meaning and history of Renn
The name Renn is believed to have its origins in the Germanic languages. It is thought to be derived from the Old High German word "rennen," which means "to run" or "to move swiftly." This suggests that the name may have initially been used to describe someone who was known for their speed or agility.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Renn can be found in the Codex Augiensis, a 9th-century manuscript that contains a list of personal names from that period. This suggests that the name was in use during the early medieval period, at least in certain parts of Europe.
In the 11th century, the name appears in the Domesday Book, a record of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. This indicates that the name had spread to Britain by that time and was being used by members of the nobility or upper classes.
One notable historical figure with the name Renn was Renn Dickson Hampden (1793-1868), a British politician and member of parliament. He served as the Member of Parliament for Buckinghamshire from 1832 to 1835 and was known for his support of parliamentary reform.
Another individual of note was Renn Tooley (1837-1900), an American businessman and banker. He co-founded the First National Bank of Redlands in California and played a significant role in the development of the citrus industry in the region.
In the realm of literature, Renn Zaphiropoulos (1902-1982) was a Greek writer and poet. He was a prominent figure in the Greek literary scene and was known for his contributions to the modernist movement in Greek literature.
Renn Hampden (1793-1868), a British politician and member of parliament, served as the Member of Parliament for Buckinghamshire from 1832 to 1835 and was known for his support of parliamentary reform.
Renn Tooley (1837-1900), an American businessman and banker, co-founded the First National Bank of Redlands in California and played a significant role in the development of the citrus industry in the region.
People
Renn + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Renn 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
Renn: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Renn?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 569 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Renn 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 602,380 US residents.
Is Renn a common name?
We classify Renn as "Very Rare". It ranks above 85.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 581 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Renn most popular?
The single biggest year for Renn was 2023, when 62 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Renn is about 14 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Renn a male name?
Yes, 59.2% of people registered as Renn 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.