2000
#6,677
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,664
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.73
Rare Last name
Renfroe
Derived from a French surname meaning "one who gathers and stores grain" or "keeper of a granary."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,383 Americans carry the last name Renfroe. That puts it at #6,896 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.57 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 63,673 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Renfroe 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
5.4K
1 in 63,673
Census rank
#6,896
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,694 bearers of the surname Renfroe in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.57 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6896th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Renfroe, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.9%. The next largest groups are Black (18.7%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Renfroe
The surname Renfroe has its origins in Scotland, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to derive from the Old English words "ræfn" meaning raven and "hol" meaning a hollow or small valley, suggesting the name originally referred to someone who lived near a raven-filled hollow or valley.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a historical document that recorded the names of Scottish landowners who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. The name appeared as "Renfreu," which is likely an earlier spelling variation.
In the 16th century, the name was also associated with the town of Renfrew in Renfrewshire, Scotland. This connection might have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname over time. The town's name itself is derived from the Gaelic "Rinn Friù," meaning "point of the thicket."
Notable historical figures bearing the Renfroe surname include Sir John Renfroe (1592-1657), a Scottish landowner and member of the Scottish Parliament, and William Renfroe (1623-1691), a merchant and trader who established one of the first successful trading posts in the American colonies.
In the 18th century, the name appeared in various spellings such as "Renfrew," "Renfrewe," and "Renfreu" in various Scottish records and documents. One prominent individual from this time was Robert Renfroe (1734-1809), a Scottish-born entrepreneur who established a successful shipping business in the West Indies.
As the surname spread beyond Scotland, it became more commonly spelled as "Renfroe." In the 19th century, John C. Renfroe (1817-1891), an American lawyer and politician from Alabama, served as a member of the Confederate Congress during the American Civil War.
Another notable figure was Mary Renfroe (1855-1926), an American educator and activist who worked tirelessly to establish schools and educational opportunities for African American children in the post-Civil War era.
These are just a few examples of individuals who have borne the Renfroe surname throughout history, highlighting its Scottish origins and the various spellings and variations that have emerged over time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Renfroe
Among Census respondents with the surname Renfroe, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.9%. The next largest groups are Black (18.7%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Renfroe 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 Renfroe surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White73.9% · 3,469
- Black or African American18.7% · 876
- Two or more races3.5% · 166
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 151
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 16
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 16
Timeline
Historical Census data for Renfroe
Renfroe 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
#6,956
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,822
+158 bearers (+3.4%)
Per 100,000 1.63
Rank movement Down 279 places
2020
#6,896
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,694
-128 bearers (-2.7%)
Per 100,000 1.57
Rank movement Up 60 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,677 | 4,664 | 1.73 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,956 | 4,822 | 1.63 | +158 bearers (+3.4%) | Down 279 places |
| 2020 | #6,896 | 4,694 | 1.57 | -128 bearers (-2.7%) | Up 60 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 Renfroe 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 | #6,956 | #6,896 | 0.9% |
| Count | 4,822 | 4,694 | -2.7% |
| Per 100K | 1.63 | 1.57 | -3.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Renfroe bearers went from 4,822 to 4,694 (-2.7% change). The surname moved up 60 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,956 to #6,896.
FAQ
Renfroe surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Renfroe?
Name Census estimates that about 5,383 living Americans carry the surname Renfroe. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 63,673 residents.
How common is Renfroe?
Renfroe ranks #6,896 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.57 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,694 people with the surname Renfroe. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,383), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.57 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.57 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Renfroe.
Has Renfroe become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Renfroe went from 4,822 recorded bearers to 4,694. That is a decrease of 128 (-2.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #6,956 to #6,896.
What does the Census say about the background of Renfroe?
Among Census respondents with the surname Renfroe, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.9%. The next largest groups are Black (18.7%) and Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Renfroe in the 2020 Census, accounting for 73.9% (3,469 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Renfroe appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (73.9%), Black (18.7%), Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Renfroe (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 Renfroe mean?
Derived from a French surname meaning "one who gathers and stores grain" or "keeper of a granary." 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 Renfroe (1.57 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 are called Renfroe?
You can see how many people have the surname Renfroe on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.