Find out how popular the last name Renard is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Renard.

Renard, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Renard surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Renard in America

Renard is the 13431st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Renard surname appeared 2,269 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Renard.

We can also compare 2010 data for Renard to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Renard

The surname Renard originated in France during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old French word 'renard', which means fox. This name was likely given as a nickname to someone who exhibited cunning or sly behavior, akin to a fox.

In the 11th century, the Renard name appeared in various regions of northern France, particularly in Normandy and Picardy. It was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086, which suggests that some individuals with this surname may have accompanied William the Conqueror during the Norman Conquest of England.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the Renard name was Gilles Renard, born around 1160 in Rouen, Normandy. He was a prominent merchant and landowner who played a role in the development of the city's textile industry.

In the 13th century, the name Renard gained literary fame through the Old French satirical poem "Roman de Renart", which featured a trickster fox named Renart. This work became popular across Europe and may have contributed to the widespread adoption of the Renard surname.

During the Renaissance period, Jean Renard (1528-1589) was a notable French poet and translator from Lyon. He is best known for his translations of Virgil's Aeneid and Ovid's Metamorphoses into French verse.

In the 17th century, Jacques Renard (1638-1719) was a French painter and engraver from Flanders. He specialized in portraiture and religious scenes and gained recognition for his technical skills and attention to detail.

Another notable bearer of the Renard name was François Renard (1718-1788), a French architect and urban planner. He was instrumental in the redesign and modernization of several cities, including Nancy and Strasbourg, during the reign of Louis XV.

In the 19th century, Léon Renard (1839-1904) was a Belgian engineer and inventor. He is credited with developing the first successful rigid airship design, known as the Renard Dirigible, which influenced the early development of aviation.

Throughout its history, the Renard surname has been associated with various place names, such as Renardière, Renardville, and Renardière-en-Brie, reflecting the geographic distribution of this family name across France and beyond.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Renard

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Renard.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Renard was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Renard has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

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

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

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