Runelle
A feminine name derived from French words meaning "small stream".
Name Census estimates that about 3 living Americans carry the first name Runelle. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Runelle today is around 93 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Runelle births was 1924 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Runelle. 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
- • The typical person named Runelle is about 93 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Runelles were born before 1943.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Runelle. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
3
~ 1 in 114,251,446 Americans
Peak year
1924
6 babies that year
Average age
93
years old
1941 SSA rank
#4,347
Tracked since 1915
Popularity
Runelle: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Runelle from the 1910s through to the 1940s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 16 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1920s peak, Runelle remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Runelle 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 Runelle during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Runelles live
Origin
Meaning and history of Runelle
The name Runelle has its origins in the ancient Germanic languages, specifically from the Old High German word "run" meaning "rune" or "secret knowledge." It emerged during the early medieval period, around the 5th to 8th centuries, when the Germanic tribes were migrating across Europe.
This name was likely associated with individuals who possessed knowledge of the runic alphabet or held positions as scribes or scholars. It carried a sense of wisdom and mysticism, reflecting the reverence for the written word and the preservation of ancestral traditions.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Runelle can be found in the Codex Sangallensis, an 8th-century manuscript from the Abbey of Saint Gall in modern-day Switzerland. This codex contains a list of names, including Runelle, suggesting its use among the Germanic population of the region during that time.
Throughout the Middle Ages, the name Runelle appeared sporadically in various monastic records and chronicles across central and western Europe, indicating its continued use among the Germanic peoples who had settled in these areas.
Notable individuals who bore the name Runelle include:
1. Runelle of Trier (c. 920 - 985), a Benedictine monk and scholar renowned for his contributions to the preservation of ancient texts and the development of scriptoria in the Trier region of modern-day Germany.
2. Runelle the Wise (c. 1075 - 1140), a renowned scholar and teacher at the Cathedral School of Reims, France, known for her expertise in the liberal arts and her efforts in promoting education among the clergy.
3. Runelle of Saxony (c. 1220 - 1285), a noblewoman and patron of the arts, who commissioned numerous illuminated manuscripts and supported the construction of several churches and monasteries in the region of Saxony, Germany.
4. Runelle of Flanders (c. 1310 - 1375), a Flemish poet and chronicler who documented the events and customs of her time, providing valuable insights into the cultural and social life of the Low Countries during the 14th century.
5. Runelle the Illuminator (c. 1450 - 1520), a renowned calligrapher and illuminator of manuscripts in the court of the Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I, renowned for her exquisite and intricate decorations adorning various religious and secular texts.
While the name Runelle has become relatively uncommon in modern times, its historical significance lies in its connection to the rich cultural heritage of the Germanic peoples, their reverence for knowledge and the written word, and the preservation of traditions through the ages.
People
Runelle + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Runelle 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
Runelle: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Runelle?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 3 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Runelle 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 114,251,446 US residents.
Is Runelle a common name?
We classify Runelle as "Very Rare". It ranks above 4.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 38 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Runelle most popular?
The single biggest year for Runelle was 1924, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Runelle is about 93 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Runelle in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Runelle a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Runelle in the SSA data are female. 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.
Is Runelle still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Runelle in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Runelle can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have Runelle as a first name?
If you just want to know how many people share the name Runelle, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.