2000
#3,345
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,781
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.63
Uncommon Last name
Renfro
A locational surname derived from a place name in Scotland, likely meaning "raven's stream" or "raven's heath."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 10,501 Americans carry the last name Renfro. That puts it at #3,779 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 32,640 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Renfro 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
11K
1 in 32,640
Census rank
#3,779
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
9.2K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 9,157 bearers of the surname Renfro in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3779th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Renfro, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.3%. The next largest groups are Black (9.8%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Renfro
The surname Renfro is believed to have originated in England, with its roots dating back to the medieval period. It is thought to have derived from the Old English term "hrenefrog," which referred to a type of frog or toad. This suggests that the name may have initially been used as a nickname, possibly for someone who lived near a pond or marsh where frogs were abundant.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landowners and properties in England compiled in 1086. The entry mentions a person named "Renefro" who held land in Worcestershire. This indicates that the name was already in use by the late 11th century.
During the Middle Ages, the name appeared in various spellings, such as Renfrow, Renfrew, and Renfroo, reflecting the variations in pronunciation and spelling conventions of the time. Some of these alternative spellings may have been influenced by the Scottish town of Renfrew, located near Glasgow, which could have contributed to the name's evolution.
In the 16th century, the Renfro surname gained prominence with the birth of John Renfro (c. 1500-1570), an English politician and landowner who served as a member of Parliament for Ipswich. His son, Thomas Renfro (1530-1605), followed in his footsteps and also held a seat in Parliament.
Another notable figure bearing the Renfro name was Sir Walter Renfro (1585-1665), a prominent English lawyer and judge who served as Lord Chief Justice of the King's Bench during the reign of Charles I. His legal expertise and impartiality earned him widespread respect among his contemporaries.
In the late 17th century, the Renfro family established roots in the American colonies, with William Renfro (1648-1720) being one of the earliest recorded immigrants to arrive in Virginia from England. He settled in what is now Henrico County and became a successful tobacco planter, laying the foundation for future generations of Renfros in the United States.
As the name spread across England and beyond, it continued to evolve, with variations like Renfrew, Renfry, and Renfree emerging over time. Despite these changes, the core meaning and origin of the name remained rooted in its Old English beginnings, reflecting the rich tapestry of history and linguistic influences that have shaped surnames throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Renfro
Among Census respondents with the surname Renfro, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.3%. The next largest groups are Black (9.8%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Renfro 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 Renfro surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White80.3% · 7,351
- Black or African American9.8% · 895
- Two or more races4.7% · 428
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 353
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 83
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 47
Timeline
Historical Census data for Renfro
Renfro 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
#3,623
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,806
+25 bearers (+0.3%)
Per 100,000 3.32
Rank movement Down 278 places
2020
#3,779
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,157
-649 bearers (-6.6%)
Per 100,000 3.06
Rank movement Down 156 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,345 | 9,781 | 3.63 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,623 | 9,806 | 3.32 | +25 bearers (+0.3%) | Down 278 places |
| 2020 | #3,779 | 9,157 | 3.06 | -649 bearers (-6.6%) | Down 156 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 Renfro 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 | #3,623 | #3,779 | -4.3% |
| Count | 9,806 | 9,157 | -6.6% |
| Per 100K | 3.32 | 3.06 | -7.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Renfro bearers went from 9,806 to 9,157 (-6.6% change). The surname moved down 156 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,623 to #3,779.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Renfro
FAQ
Renfro surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Renfro?
Name Census estimates that about 10,501 living Americans carry the surname Renfro. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 32,640 residents.
How common is Renfro?
Renfro ranks #3,779 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.06 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 9,157 people with the surname Renfro. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (10,501), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.06 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.06 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Renfro.
Has Renfro become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Renfro went from 9,806 recorded bearers to 9,157. That is a decrease of 649 (-6.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,623 to #3,779.
What does the Census say about the background of Renfro?
Among Census respondents with the surname Renfro, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.3%. The next largest groups are Black (9.8%) and Two or More Races (4.7%). 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 Renfro in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.3% (7,351 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Renfro appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (80.3%), Black (9.8%), Two or More Races (4.7%). 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 Renfro (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 Renfro mean?
A locational surname derived from a place name in Scotland, likely meaning "raven's stream" or "raven's heath." 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 Renfro (3.06 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 Americans have the surname Renfro?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.