Renn last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Renn

A toponymic surname derived from places named Renn or Renne, likely referring to a waterway or watercourse.

Renn, 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 Renn surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Renn in America

Renn is the 11047th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Renn surname appeared 2,878 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Renn.

We can also compare 2010 data for Renn 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 11047 10504 5.04%
Count 2,878 2,805 2.57%
Proportion per 100k 0.98 1.04 -5.94%

The history of the last name Renn

The surname RENN has its origins in Germany, and can be traced back to the late medieval period, around the 13th century. It is believed to have been derived from the Old German word "rinne," meaning a small stream or a watercourse. The surname was likely adopted by individuals who lived near such a geographical feature.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name RENN can be found in the town records of Nuremberg, dating back to 1327. The entry refers to a certain "Hans Renn," who was a merchant dealing in textiles. Another early reference is a mention of a "Peter Renn" in the records of the town of Augsburg from the year 1412.

In the 15th century, there are records of a family called RENN residing in the village of Rennhausen, located in the region of Franconia, in present-day Bavaria. It is possible that the village's name was derived from the surname, or vice versa, as it was common practice for families to adopt their surnames from the places they inhabited.

One notable bearer of the name RENN was Johannes Renn, a German mathematician and astronomer who lived from 1561 to 1638. He made significant contributions to the development of logarithms and was a contemporary of Johannes Kepler.

Another individual of note was Christoph Renn, a German painter and engraver who lived from 1615 to 1688. He is known for his religious paintings and engravings, many of which can be found in churches and museums across Germany.

In the 18th century, a prominent figure with the surname RENN was Johann Michael Renn, a German theologian and philosopher who lived from 1713 to 1786. He was a professor at the University of Göttingen and authored several works on ethics and moral philosophy.

The surname RENN also has a presence in other parts of Europe, such as Austria and Switzerland, where it is believed to have been introduced by German settlers or migrants. In these regions, the name may have evolved into slightly different spellings, such as "Renn" or "Renne."

Despite its German origins, the name RENN has been carried by individuals of various nationalities and backgrounds throughout history, reflecting the migration patterns and cultural exchanges that have shaped the modern world.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Renn

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

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 Renn was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 93.99% 2,705
Non-Hispanic Black Only 2.12% 61
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 1.18% 34
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.52% 15
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 0.83% 24
Hispanic Origin 1.36% 39

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 Renn has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 93.99% 94.90% -0.96%
Black 2.12% 1.32% 46.51%
Asian and Pacific Islander 1.18% (S)% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.52% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races 0.83% 1.32% -45.58%
Hispanic 1.36% 1.21% 11.67%

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

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

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"Renn last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on November 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/renn-surname-popularity/.

"Renn last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/renn-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 November, 2024

Renn last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/renn-surname-popularity/.

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