2000
#12,241
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,333
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.86
Uncommon Last name
Ren
A Chinese surname with various meanings, including "benevolent," "knife," "to bear," or "to endure," depending on the characters used.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 10,022 Americans carry the last name Ren. That puts it at #3,943 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.92 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 34,200 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ren surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Ren with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
10K
1 in 34,200
Census rank
#3,943
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
8.7K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 8,740 bearers of the surname Ren in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.92 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3943rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ren, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 91.0%. The next largest groups are White (6.4%) and Hispanic (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ren
The surname REN originates from China and is believed to have emerged during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD). It is derived from the Chinese word "ren," which means "man" or "person." This name was likely given to individuals as a way to identify them based on their humanity or persona.
In ancient Chinese records, such as the "Ren Shi Zhi" (Records of the Ren Clan), the name REN can be traced back to the 8th century AD. This text mentions prominent members of the Ren family who held important positions in the imperial court during the Tang Dynasty.
One of the earliest known individuals with the surname REN was Ren Zong (691-756 AD), a renowned poet and calligrapher during the Tang Dynasty. His works were widely celebrated and have been preserved in various anthologies.
Another notable figure was Ren Fang (460-508 AD), a scholar and writer who lived during the Northern Wei Dynasty. He is renowned for his contributions to the study of Confucian classics and his literary works.
During the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD), the Ren family was prominent in the city of Kaifeng, which was the capital at the time. Records from this period mention Ren Zongyi (998-1063 AD), a prominent scholar and official who served in the imperial court.
In the 13th century, the Mongol Empire's invasion of China led to the widespread dispersal of the Ren surname across various regions. However, the name remained prevalent in areas such as Shandong, Hebei, and Henan provinces.
One of the most famous individuals with the surname REN was Ren Bonian (1840-1896), a renowned scholar and reformist during the late Qing Dynasty. He advocated for modernization and played a significant role in the Self-Strengthening Movement.
While the surname REN has ancient roots in China, it has also been adopted by individuals in other parts of Asia and the world, particularly among those with Chinese ancestry or cultural connections.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ren
Among Census respondents with the surname Ren, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 91.0%. The next largest groups are White (6.4%) and Hispanic (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Ren bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Ren surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander91.0% · 7,956
- White6.4% · 561
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 79
- Two or more races0.9% · 78
- Black or African American0.7% · 60
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ren
Ren appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#6,470
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,247
+2,914 bearers (+124.9%)
Per 100,000 1.78
Rank movement Up 5,771 places
2020
#3,943
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,740
+3,493 bearers (+66.6%)
Per 100,000 2.92
Rank movement Up 2,527 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,241 | 2,333 | 0.86 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,470 | 5,247 | 1.78 | +2,914 bearers (+124.9%) | Up 5,771 places |
| 2020 | #3,943 | 8,740 | 2.92 | +3,493 bearers (+66.6%) | Up 2,527 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Ren surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #6,470 | #3,943 | 39.1% |
| Count | 5,247 | 8,740 | 66.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.78 | 2.92 | 64.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ren bearers went from 5,247 to 8,740 (+66.6% change). The surname moved up 2,527 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,470 to #3,943.
FAQ
Ren surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ren?
Name Census estimates that about 10,022 living Americans carry the surname Ren. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 34,200 residents.
How common is Ren?
Ren ranks #3,943 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.92 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 8,740 people with the surname Ren. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (10,022), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.92 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.92 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Ren.
Has Ren become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ren went from 5,247 recorded bearers to 8,740. That is an increase of 3,493 (+66.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #6,470 to #3,943.
What does the Census say about the background of Ren?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ren, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 91.0%. The next largest groups are White (6.4%) and Hispanic (0.9%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Ren in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.0% (7,956 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ren appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (91.0%), White (6.4%), Hispanic (0.9%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Ren (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Ren mean?
A Chinese surname with various meanings, including "benevolent," "knife," "to bear," or "to endure," depending on the characters used. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Ren (2.92 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Ren?
If you just want to know how many people have the last name Ren, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.