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

Renault, 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 Renault surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Renault in America

Renault is the 42308th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Renault surname appeared 513 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Renault.

We can also compare 2010 data for Renault 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 Renault

The surname Renault originates from France and dates back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old French word "renard," meaning fox. The name likely arose as a nickname for someone considered cunning or sly, or perhaps someone with reddish hair reminiscent of a fox's coloring.

The earliest recorded instances of the Renault name can be traced back to the 12th century in various regions of France, including Normandy, Brittany, and the Île-de-France region surrounding Paris. Variant spellings from this period include Renart, Regnart, and Regnault.

In the 13th century, a nobleman named Gilles Renault was recorded as a participant in the Seventh Crusade, which took place between 1248 and 1254. Around the same time, a Renault de Mézières served as a diplomat and advisor to King Charles V of France in the late 14th century.

The Renault name also has connections to place names in France. The town of Renault, located in the Auvergne region, likely took its name from an early bearer of the surname. Similarly, the village of Renaudie in the Poitou region may have derived its name from a Renault family residing there.

One notable figure in French history was Jean Renault (1432-1499), a lawyer and diplomat who served as the ambassador of King Louis XI to the Holy Roman Empire. Later, in the 17th century, a Renault family produced several prominent members, including Jacques Renault (1608-1662), a French Jesuit missionary who worked in Canada, and Augustin Renault (1654-1729), a businessman and explorer who established settlements in the Illinois Country of North America.

Another famous bearer of the Renault surname was Louis Renault (1877-1944), the French industrialist and businessman who founded the Renault automobile company in 1899. His company played a significant role in the development of the automotive industry and became one of the largest and most recognizable car manufacturers in the world.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Renault

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

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 Renault 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 Renault 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 Renault was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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