Runnie
A feminine name of unknown origin, possibly a diminutive form of Ronnie.
Name Census estimates that about 9 living Americans carry the first name Runnie. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Runnie today is around 72 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Runnie births was 1957 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Runnie. 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 Runnie is about 72 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Runnies were born before 1964.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Runnie. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
9
~ 1 in 38,083,815 Americans
Peak year
1957
6 babies that year
Average age
72
years old
1958 SSA rank
#3,866
Tracked since 1957
Popularity
Runnie: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Runnie 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 Runnie during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 12 | 0 | 12 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Runnie
The given name Runnie has its roots in the Old Norse language, originating from the Norse settlements in the regions of modern-day Scandinavia and Iceland. It likely emerged during the Viking Age, which spanned from the late 8th century to the late 11th century. Runnie is derived from the Old Norse word "rúna," which means "a secret or mystery," referring to the runic alphabets used for writing in that era.
One of the earliest documented references to the name Runnie can be found in the Icelandic Sagas, a collection of medieval stories and histories that chronicle the lives of Norse settlers in Iceland. Specifically, the name appears in the Njál's Saga, one of the most renowned Icelandic Sagas, believed to have been written in the late 13th century.
The first known historical figure with the name Runnie was Runnie Ketilsson, a Norse explorer and settler who is believed to have lived in the 9th century. He is mentioned in the Landnámabók, a medieval Icelandic manuscript that documents the settlement of Iceland.
Another notable individual with the name Runnie was Runnie the Scald, a 10th-century Norse skald (poet) from Iceland. He is known for his poetic works, including the Runnekvadet, a poem that celebrates the exploits of a Norse chieftain.
In the 11th century, Runnie Thorkelsson was a prominent Icelandic lawspeaker and chieftain. He played a significant role in the Christianization of Iceland and is mentioned in the Íslendingabók, an influential historical work written by Ari the Wise in the 12th century.
During the 12th century, Runnie Sveinsson was a renowned Norse navigator and explorer who is credited with discovering and mapping several islands in the North Atlantic. His voyages and discoveries are documented in the Grœnlendinga saga, a saga that recounts the exploration and settlement of Greenland by the Norse.
In the 13th century, Runnie Eiriksson was a respected Norse chieftain and lawmaker in Iceland. He is mentioned in the Sturlunga saga, a collection of Icelandic sagas that provide insights into the political and social climate of the time.
While the name Runnie has its roots in the Norse culture, it has since been adopted and used in various other cultures and languages, albeit with slight variations in spelling and pronunciation.
People
Runnie + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Runnie 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
Runnie: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Runnie?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 9 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Runnie 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 38,083,815 US residents.
Is Runnie a common name?
We classify Runnie as "Very Rare". It ranks above 25.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 12 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Runnie most popular?
The single biggest year for Runnie was 1957, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Runnie is about 72 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 Runnie in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Runnie a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Runnie 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.
Is Runnie still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Runnie 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 Runnie 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 Runnie as a first name?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans are named Runnie on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.