2000
#9,337
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,203
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.19
Rare Last name
Renz
A German occupational surname derived from the Middle High German word "Renze," meaning a maker of leather straps or belts.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,453 Americans carry the last name Renz. That puts it at #10,189 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.01 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 99,263 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Renz 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
3.5K
1 in 99,263
Census rank
#10,189
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,011 bearers of the surname Renz in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.01 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10189th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Renz, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Renz
The surname Renz has its origins in Germany, where it first appeared in the 14th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old German word "renz," which means "boundary" or "border." This suggests that the name was originally used to identify someone who lived near a boundary or border area.
The earliest known record of the Renz surname dates back to 1389 in the city of Augsburg, where a man named Heinrich Renz was mentioned in a local register. Another early reference can be found in the town of Memmingen, where a family with the name Renz is recorded in the 15th century.
In the 16th century, the surname Renz began to spread across various regions of Germany, with several notable individuals bearing the name. One such person was Johannes Renz (1493-1548), a German theologian and reformer who worked alongside Martin Luther during the Protestant Reformation.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Renz surname appeared in various parts of southern Germany, including Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria. It was also found in the Swiss cantons of Basel and Zürich, suggesting that some bearers of the name may have migrated to Switzerland during this period.
One notable Renz from the 18th century was Johann Georg Renz (1720-1790), a German painter and engraver who was known for his religious and allegorical works. Another individual of note was Johann Jakob Renz (1760-1813), a German Catholic priest and writer who authored several theological works.
As the 19th century dawned, the Renz surname continued to be prevalent in various parts of Germany and Switzerland. One prominent figure from this era was Wilhelm Renz (1849-1923), a German politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Reichstag (the German parliament) from 1890 to 1912.
Throughout its history, the Renz surname has also been associated with various place names and older spellings. For example, the town of Renzen in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate is believed to have derived its name from the Renz family, who may have been among its earliest settlers.
While the Renz surname has a rich history spanning several centuries, it is important to note that this information is based on historical records and may not reflect the current distribution or prominence of the name in modern times.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Renz
Among Census respondents with the surname Renz, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Renz 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 Renz surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.4% · 2,751
- Hispanic or Latino4.5% · 137
- Two or more races2.6% · 78
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 20
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 15
- Black or African American0.3% · 10
Timeline
Historical Census data for Renz
Renz 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
#10,278
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,137
-66 bearers (-2.1%)
Per 100,000 1.06
Rank movement Down 941 places
2020
#10,189
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,011
-126 bearers (-4.0%)
Per 100,000 1.01
Rank movement Up 89 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,337 | 3,203 | 1.19 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,278 | 3,137 | 1.06 | -66 bearers (-2.1%) | Down 941 places |
| 2020 | #10,189 | 3,011 | 1.01 | -126 bearers (-4.0%) | Up 89 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 Renz 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 | #10,278 | #10,189 | 0.9% |
| Count | 3,137 | 3,011 | -4.0% |
| Per 100K | 1.06 | 1.01 | -5.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Renz bearers went from 3,137 to 3,011 (-4.0% change). The surname moved up 89 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,278 to #10,189.
FAQ
Renz surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Renz?
Name Census estimates that about 3,453 living Americans carry the surname Renz. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 99,263 residents.
How common is Renz?
Renz ranks #10,189 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.01 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 3,011 people with the surname Renz. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,453), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.01 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.01 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 Renz.
Has Renz become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Renz went from 3,137 recorded bearers to 3,011. That is a decrease of 126 (-4.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #10,278 to #10,189.
What does the Census say about the background of Renz?
Among Census respondents with the surname Renz, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Renz in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.4% (2,751 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Renz appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.4%), Hispanic (4.5%), Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Renz (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 Renz mean?
A German occupational surname derived from the Middle High German word "Renze," meaning a maker of leather straps or belts. 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 Renz (1.01 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 have the last name Renz?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people are called Renz at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.