2000
#13,386
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,087
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.77
Rare Last name
Renken
A surname of German origin, derived from a short form of the given name Reinhard, meaning "strong advice."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,338 Americans carry the last name Renken. That puts it at #14,136 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.68 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 146,602 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Renken 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
2.3K
1 in 146,602
Census rank
#14,136
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,039 bearers of the surname Renken in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.68 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14136th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Renken, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Renken
The surname RENKEN is of German origin, with its roots traced back to the medieval era. It was predominantly used in the regions of Northern Germany, particularly in the states of Lower Saxony and Westphalia. The name is believed to have derived from the Old German word "renk," which referred to a strong, vigorous person or a warrior.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the RENKEN surname can be found in the Wachenbuch, a genealogical record from the city of Osnabrück, dated back to the 14th century. This document mentions a certain Henricus Renken, a prominent citizen of the town.
In the 16th century, the name appears in the records of the Protestant Reformation, with a notable figure named Johannes Renken, a Lutheran minister and theologian from Lübeck (1525-1589). He played a significant role in the spread of Lutheranism in Northern Germany.
During the 17th century, the RENKEN surname gained prominence in the city of Bremen, where a family of merchants and traders bearing this name established themselves. One of the most notable members was Gerhard Renken (1625-1692), a successful merchant and philanthropist who funded the construction of several churches and schools in the city.
In the realm of literature, the German author and playwright Christian Renken (1753-1826) from Osnabrück gained recognition for his works, which included plays, novels, and satires. His satirical novel "Die Abenteuer des Freiherrn von Münchhausen" (The Adventures of Baron Münchhausen) is considered a classic of German literature.
Another notable individual with the RENKEN surname was Carl Friedrich Renken (1786-1857), a German mathematician and astronomer. He made significant contributions to the field of celestial mechanics and served as the director of the observatory in Kassel.
The RENKEN surname can also be traced back to the regions of Westphalia, where it was often associated with various place names, such as Renkendorf, Renkenbach, and Renkenberg. These place names likely influenced the formation of the surname, reflecting the geographical origins of different RENKEN families.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Renken
Among Census respondents with the surname Renken, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Renken 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 Renken surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.4% · 1,885
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 67
- Two or more races2.7% · 55
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 22
- Black or African American0.2% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Renken
Renken 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
#13,203
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,315
+228 bearers (+10.9%)
Per 100,000 0.78
Rank movement Up 183 places
2020
#14,136
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,039
-276 bearers (-11.9%)
Per 100,000 0.68
Rank movement Down 933 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,386 | 2,087 | 0.77 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,203 | 2,315 | 0.78 | +228 bearers (+10.9%) | Up 183 places |
| 2020 | #14,136 | 2,039 | 0.68 | -276 bearers (-11.9%) | Down 933 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 Renken 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 | #13,203 | #14,136 | -7.1% |
| Count | 2,315 | 2,039 | -11.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.78 | 0.68 | -12.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Renken bearers went from 2,315 to 2,039 (-11.9% change). The surname moved down 933 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,203 to #14,136.
FAQ
Renken surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Renken?
Name Census estimates that about 2,338 living Americans carry the surname Renken. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 146,602 residents.
How common is Renken?
Renken ranks #14,136 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.68 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,039 people with the surname Renken. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,338), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.68 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.68 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Renken.
Has Renken become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Renken went from 2,315 recorded bearers to 2,039. That is a decrease of 276 (-11.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,203 to #14,136.
What does the Census say about the background of Renken?
Among Census respondents with the surname Renken, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Renken in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.4% (1,885 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Renken appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.4%), Hispanic (3.3%), Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Renken (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 Renken mean?
A surname of German origin, derived from a short form of the given name Reinhard, meaning "strong advice." 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 Renken (0.68 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 Renken?
Find out how common the surname Renken is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.