2000
#137,816
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Renert
A variant of "Reinert", a Germanic surname meaning brave or courageous ruler.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Renert. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Renert 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.
Bearers in the US
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Renert in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Renert, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Renert
The surname Renert originates from Germany and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Middle High German word "reinhart," which means "strong counsel" or "brave counsel." This name likely originated as a nickname for someone considered wise or brave in their counsel.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Renert can be found in the medieval German epic poem "Reinhart Fuchs," also known as the "Reynard the Fox" fables. This literary work, dating back to the 12th century, features a cunning fox named Reinhart as the central character. It is believed that some individuals may have adopted the surname Renert as a reference to this famous literary figure.
In the 14th century, the name Renert appeared in various records and manuscripts across different regions of Germany, including Saxony and Bavaria. One notable individual from this period was Johannes Renert, a scholar and theologian born in Nuremberg in 1342. He was known for his contributions to the study of canon law and his writings on ecclesiastical matters.
During the 16th century, the surname Renert saw variations in spelling, such as Reinert, Reynert, and Reinhardt. This period also saw the emergence of several notable individuals bearing this name. One such person was Hans Renert, a German painter born in Augsburg in 1519, known for his religious and historical paintings.
In the 17th century, the name Renert was associated with several prominent figures in various fields. Johann Renert (1593-1663) was a German composer and organist who served as the Kapellmeister at the court of the Elector of Saxony. Another notable individual was Philipp Renert (1608-1678), a German mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the field of celestial mechanics.
Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, the Renert surname continued to be present across various regions of Germany and beyond. One notable figure from this period was Friedrich Renert (1772-1834), a German historian and writer who authored works on the history of Germany and the Reformation.
Other individuals with the surname Renert who left their mark in history include Wilhelm Renert (1819-1892), a German businessman and philanthropist who established several charitable foundations in his hometown of Hamburg, and Karl Renert (1854-1924), a German botanist and explorer known for his expeditions to South America and his contributions to the field of plant taxonomy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Renert
Among Census respondents with the surname Renert, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Renert 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 Renert surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.3% · 102
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 2
- Two or more races1.9% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Renert
Renert 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
#154,907
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-7 bearers (-6.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 17,091 places
2020
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
+2 bearers (+1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 3,268 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #137,816 | 112 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #154,907 | 105 | 0.04 | -7 bearers (-6.3%) | Down 17,091 places |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.9%) | Up 3,268 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 Renert 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 | #154,907 | #151,639 | 2.1% |
| Count | 105 | 107 | 1.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Renert bearers went from 105 to 107 (+1.9% change). The surname moved up 3,268 positions in the national ranking, going from #154,907 to #151,639.
FAQ
Renert surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Renert?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Renert. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Renert?
Renert ranks #151,639 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 107 people with the surname Renert. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Renert.
Has Renert become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Renert went from 105 recorded bearers to 107. That is an increase of 2 (+1.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #154,907 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Renert?
Among Census respondents with the surname Renert, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%) and Two or More Races (1.9%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Renert in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.3% (102 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Renert appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.3%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%), Two or More Races (1.9%). 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 Renert (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 Renert mean?
A variant of "Reinert", a Germanic surname meaning brave or courageous ruler. 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 Renert (0.04 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 many people share the surname Renert?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.