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

Renehan, 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 Renehan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Renehan in America

Renehan is the 43006th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Renehan surname appeared 503 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 Renehan.

We can also compare 2010 data for Renehan 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 Renehan

The surname Renehan originated in Ireland, specifically in the province of Connacht. It is an anglicized form of the Irish Gaelic name Ó Raighilligh, which means "descendant of Raghallach." Raghallach is derived from the Old Irish word ragh, meaning "illustrious," and allach, meaning "former."

The earliest known recorded instance of the name Renehan dates back to the 14th century in County Mayo, Ireland. It was initially spelled as O'Renehan or O'Renaghan, reflecting its Gaelic roots. Over time, various spellings emerged, including Renihan, Reynihan, and Renahan.

The Renehan surname is particularly associated with the baronies of Costello and Gallen in County Mayo, where the family held significant influence and land holdings. Several Renehan families are mentioned in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled by Franciscan monks in the 17th century.

One notable Renehan was Theobald Renehan, born in 1640, who served as a soldier in the Irish Confederate Wars during the 17th century. He fought alongside the Irish Catholic Confederation against the English Parliamentarian forces.

Another historically significant figure was Richard Renehan, born in 1785, who was a prominent Irish nationalist and journalist. He was actively involved in the political movements of his time and advocated for Irish independence from British rule.

In the 18th century, Edmond Renehan, born in 1725, was a well-respected scholar and poet in County Mayo. His works, written in the Irish language, contributed to the preservation of Irish literature and culture.

The Renehan surname also has connections to the United States, particularly in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when many Irish immigrants bearing the name settled in various parts of the country, often Anglicizing the spelling to Renehan.

One notable American Renehan was Michael Renehan, born in 1877, who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Massachusetts from 1919 to 1921.

Overall, the surname Renehan has a rich and deeply rooted history in Irish culture and tradition, with its origins tracing back to the medieval era in the western province of Connacht.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Renehan

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

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

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

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