2000
#137,816
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Renschen
A German surname derived from a nickname meaning "the quick one."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Renschen. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Renschen 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Renschen in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Renschen, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (13.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Renschen
The surname RENSCHEN is believed to have originated in Germany, likely in the late 16th or early 17th century. It is thought to be a dialectal variation of the German word "Rensch," which means "boundary" or "border." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who lived near a boundary or border area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name RENSCHEN can be found in the village of Renchen, located in the state of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. The name of the village is derived from the same root word as the surname, and it is possible that the surname RENSCHEN originated from this area.
In the 17th century, a man named Johann RENSCHEN (1621-1689) was recorded as a prominent landowner and farmer in the region of Hesse, Germany. His son, Heinrich RENSCHEN (1652-1718), followed in his footsteps and became a respected member of the local community.
During the 18th century, a notable figure with the surname RENSCHEN was Anna Maria RENSCHEN (1725-1798), a skilled weaver and textile artisan from the town of Erfurt, in the state of Thuringia, Germany. Her intricate tapestries and rugs were highly sought after by the local nobility.
In the 19th century, the name RENSCHEN gained some recognition in the field of education. Friedrich RENSCHEN (1819-1892) was a respected teacher and headmaster at a prestigious school in Berlin. He wrote several influential textbooks on mathematics and science that were widely used in German schools during that time.
Another notable figure with the surname RENSCHEN was Hans RENSCHEN (1872-1946), a renowned architect and urban planner from Munich, Germany. He designed several iconic buildings and public spaces in the city, many of which still stand today as examples of the architectural styles of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
While the surname RENSCHEN is not as common as some other German surnames, it has a rich history and can be traced back to its origins in the border regions of Germany several centuries ago. The name has been associated with various professions and achievements throughout its history, from farming and textiles to education and architecture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Renschen
Among Census respondents with the surname Renschen, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (13.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Renschen 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 Renschen surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White80.2% · 97
- Two or more races13.2% · 16
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.3% · 4
- Black or African American2.5% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Renschen
Renschen 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
#158,432
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
-10 bearers (-8.9%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 20,616 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
+19 bearers (+18.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 17,123 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 | #158,432 | 102 | 0.03 | -10 bearers (-8.9%) | Down 20,616 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | +19 bearers (+18.6%) | Up 17,123 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 Renschen 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 | #158,432 | #141,309 | 10.8% |
| Count | 102 | 121 | 18.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 34.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Renschen bearers went from 102 to 121 (+18.6% change). The surname moved up 17,123 positions in the national ranking, going from #158,432 to #141,309.
FAQ
Renschen surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Renschen?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Renschen. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Renschen?
Renschen ranks #141,309 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 121 people with the surname Renschen. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), 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 Renschen.
Has Renschen become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Renschen went from 102 recorded bearers to 121. That is an increase of 19 (+18.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #158,432 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Renschen?
Among Census respondents with the surname Renschen, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (13.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.3%). 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 Renschen in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.2% (97 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Renschen appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (80.2%), Two or More Races (13.2%), Asian/Pacific Islander (3.3%). 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 Renschen (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 Renschen mean?
A German surname derived from a nickname meaning "the quick one." 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 Renschen (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 Americans have the surname Renschen?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.