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

René, 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 René surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of René in America

René is the 10860th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The René surname appeared 2,933 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 René.

We can also compare 2010 data for René 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 René

The surname RENE originated in France during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old French given name Réné, which in turn comes from the Late Latin name Renatus, meaning "reborn" or "born again." This name was likely bestowed upon children who were born after a period of hardship or tragedy, symbolizing a new beginning.

The earliest recorded examples of the RENE surname can be found in historical records from the 12th century, particularly in the regions of Normandy and Brittany. One of the earliest known bearers of this name was Renaud de Rene, a nobleman from the town of Rene in Normandy, who is mentioned in a charter from 1187.

In the 13th century, the RENE surname appeared in various spellings, such as Reneé, Renée, and Renay, reflecting regional variations in pronunciation and spelling conventions. During this time, the name was also associated with several prominent individuals, including Pierre de Rene, a knight who fought in the Seventh Crusade in 1248.

The RENE surname gained further recognition in the 14th century, with the rise of the House of Anjou, a powerful noble family from the region of Anjou in western France. One of the most notable members of this family was René of Anjou (1409-1480), also known as René I of Naples, who was the Duke of Anjou, King of Naples, and Count of Provence.

In the 15th century, the RENE surname spread across Europe, with bearers of the name appearing in various historical records and documents. One notable figure was François Rene, a French diplomat and ambassador who served under King Louis XI in the late 15th century.

Throughout the 16th and 17th centuries, the RENE surname continued to be associated with notable individuals, including René Descartes (1596-1650), the renowned French philosopher, mathematician, and scientist, who is considered one of the founders of modern philosophy.

Other notable bearers of the RENE surname include Jean-Baptiste Rene Robinet (1735-1820), a French philosopher and naturalist, and Philipp Rene Hubert (1778-1857), a German astronomer and mathematician.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name René

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

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

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

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