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

Rentz, 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 Rentz surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rentz in America

Rentz is the 8373rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rentz surname appeared 3,954 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 Rentz.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rentz 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.

The history of the last name Rentz

The surname Rentz is of German origin and dates back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the German word "rennen," which means "to run." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to a fast runner or messenger.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in various German records from the 13th and 14th centuries. In the Codex Diplomaticus Brandenburgensis, a document from 1375, there is a mention of a "Henricus Rentz" from the region of Brandenburg.

Another early reference to the name appears in the Deutsches Rechtswörterbuch, a legal dictionary from the 15th century, where a "Hans Rentz" is listed as a witness in a court case from 1482.

In the 16th century, the name Rentz can be found in various town records and church registers across Germany. For example, in the town of Görlitz, there is a record of a "Michael Rentz" born in 1567.

One notable individual with the surname Rentz was Johann Rentz, a German theologian and author who lived from 1599 to 1667. He wrote several influential works on theology and religion during his time.

In the 18th century, the Rentz name appeared in various places across Europe, indicating that some members of the family had migrated from Germany. One such instance is the birth record of a "Maria Rentz" in the town of Nisko, Poland, in 1742.

Another prominent figure with the surname Rentz was Karl Rentz, a German painter and engraver who lived from 1812 to 1884. He is known for his landscapes and portraits, and his works can be found in various museums across Germany.

The 19th century saw the Rentz name spread further, with records of individuals bearing the name in countries like the United States and Canada. One notable example is Charles Rentz, an American businessman and politician who lived from 1845 to 1920 and served as the mayor of St. Louis, Missouri.

As the centuries passed, the Rentz surname continued to be found in various parts of the world, with individuals bearing the name making contributions in various fields, including academia, arts, and literature.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rentz

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

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 Rentz was:

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!