Surname Renne - Meaning and Origin
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Renne: What does the surname Renne mean?
The last name Renne is of French origin and is believed to indicate the individual had French ancestry. It is the shortened version of the surname Renaud, which was born by a famous French hero of the seventh century who served as a leader in the Battle of Poitiers.
The name Renaud is derived from the Old Germanic personal name Raginwald meaning "wise and powerful ruler" or "counselor". Over time, the name has also been spelt various ways such as Raginwald, Ragenwald, Rainault, Rainold, Rainow, Rainald, Rannold, Rannauld, and Reynold.
Renne is most frequently found amongst French Canadians. It can also be traced back to the 17th century when it was still part of New France. In the US, Renne was adopted as a surname by Huguenot immigrants and their descendants during the 18th and 19th centuries.
The name Renne appears to have been associated with the North of France and Flanders during the Middle Ages. The name appears in various early records such as a reference to a "Johannes de Renna", a minor tenant of the Bruges Abbey, in a document of 1583, and a record of one Adolle de Renna from Zuid-Beveland, in 1604.
Today, descendants of the Renne family can be found all over the world. It is still most commonly seen in French-speaking countries. However, more recently, the name Renne has spread to other languages as this French-Canadian surname has become increasingly common among English-speaking families.
Order DNA origin analysisRenne: Where does the name Renne come from?
The last name Renne is most commonly found in France, as it is of French origin. As of 2020, it is the 302nd most common surname in the country, with an estimated 18,000 bearers. Outside of France, Renne is also relatively common in the United States. According to the US Census Bureau, there are over 2000 people in the US who bear the Renne surname. The largest population is in New York, where there are just under 800 recorded occurrences. California, Texas, and Pennsylvania are the other three states where it is the most common. It likely came to the United States when French settlers began moving to the area in the 18th century. In other countries, particularly those with heavy French migration, the surname Renne can still be found, though at much lower rates. Canada and Belgium are two such countries, as well as some smaller countries such as Switzerland. In other places, the frequency of the name is much lower, most likely due to migration away from places of origin.
Variations of the surname Renne
Renne is a surname which has multiple variants, spellings and alternate surnames. Renne, Renée, and Rennes are three common variants of the name. Renee is the French feminine version of the name while Rennes is a town in France.
In addition to its French origins, the surname has German, English and Dutch roots, with many variants of each. Common Dutch variants include Rennen, Rennin, Rennenkamp, and Rennens. Common German variants are Renneke and Renner. The most common English variants are Runn and Runne.
Other surnames that can also trace their origins to Renne include Rennell, Rennie, Reynell, Renolds, Reynoldson, Runwood and Runnels. Less common spellings of the surname in English include Renn, Rann, Renney, Renna and Rennall.
The surname has many variants that are sometimes confused with similar sounding names, such as Rennes, Reine, Rains, Rane, Reins, Reigns, Reynolds and Raymond. It is not uncommon for the variants of Renne to be re-interpreted over time, which has lead to many alternate surnames.
Famous people with the name Renne
- Annette Renne: American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist.
- André Rene: French actor, director, and producer.
- Renee Renner: American journalist and radio personality.
- Dennis Renne: American writer and novelist.
- Brian Renne: American television producer and screenwriter.
- Viktor Renne: German theatre director.
- Philipp Renne: German fine artist.
- Dennis Renne: German sculptor.
- Gillian Renne: American art historian and excavator.
- Daniel Renne: Dutch chess player.
- Pierre Renne: American photographer and graphic designer.
- Andrew Renne: American biologist and historian.
- Ted Renne: English actor.
- Dan Renne: American record producer.
- Mark Renne: American botanist.