UK name, mostly boys
Renn
A unisex name possibly derived from the Old English word "ren" meaning journey.
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Also recorded as a girls' name in the UK, with 25 girls.
Renn is mostly registered for boys in the UK records. People looking for Renn popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #1675, with 15 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2024, with 15 births.
This profile covers 61 England and Wales registrations across 7 recorded years from 2017 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
Renn is at its recorded peak in the England and Wales series.
We estimate that about 66 living people in the UK are called Renn. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Renn ranked #1675 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 15 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2024, when 15 boys were registered as Renn.
- • Renn ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #535 in 2024.
- • Renn is also recorded for girls, but the boys side is the larger UK variant in these records.
- • About 66 living people in the UK are estimated to have Renn as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
- • Across the England and Wales records shown here, 70.9% of Renn registrations are for boys.
Latest rank (E&W)
#1675
2024
Births in 2024
15
Latest year
Peak year
2024
15 births
Estimated living
66
2026
Gender
Boy and girl registrations for Renn
In England and Wales birth records, Renn has been registered for both boys and girls. Across the years shown here, 70.9% of registrations are for boys and 29.1% are for girls.
These figures use the sex categories in the published baby-name files. They are useful for spotting how the name is used at registration, but they are not a live measure of gender identity or everyone living with the name today.
Renn registered for boys
- Ranked #1,675 in 2024
- 15 boys registered in 2024
- Peak: 2024 (15 births)
Renn registered for girls
- Ranked #2,927 in 2023
- 8 girls registered in 2023
- Peak: 2022 (9 births)
Meaning
What does Renn mean?
The name Renn is believed to have its origins in the Germanic languages. It is thought to be derived from the Old High German word "rennen," which means "to run" or "to move swiftly." This suggests that the name may have initially been used to describe someone who was known for their speed or agility.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Renn can be found in the Codex Augiensis, a 9th-century manuscript that contains a list of personal names from that period. This suggests that the name was in use during the early medieval period, at least in certain parts of Europe.
In the 11th century, the name appears in the Domesday Book, a record of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. This indicates that the name had spread to Britain by that time and was being used by members of the nobility or upper classes.
One notable historical figure with the name Renn was Renn Dickson Hampden (1793-1868), a British politician and member of parliament. He served as the Member of Parliament for Buckinghamshire from 1832 to 1835 and was known for his support of parliamentary reform.
Another individual of note was Renn Tooley (1837-1900), an American businessman and banker. He co-founded the First National Bank of Redlands in California and played a significant role in the development of the citrus industry in the region.
In the realm of literature, Renn Zaphiropoulos (1902-1982) was a Greek writer and poet. He was a prominent figure in the Greek literary scene and was known for his contributions to the modernist movement in Greek literature.
Renn Hampden (1793-1868), a British politician and member of parliament, served as the Member of Parliament for Buckinghamshire from 1832 to 1835 and was known for his support of parliamentary reform.
Renn Tooley (1837-1900), an American businessman and banker, co-founded the First National Bank of Redlands in California and played a significant role in the development of the citrus industry in the region.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Renn over time
The chart below compares boys and girls registered as Renn in England and Wales, from 2012 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Renn, the clearest high point is 2024. The latest England and Wales figure is 15 births in 2024, compared with 15 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Renn by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Renn was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #2259 | 54 | 5 |
| 2010s | #4386 | 7 | 2 |
Geography
Where Renn is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Renn. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Renn ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #535 in 2024.
Across the UK
Renn in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#535 in 2024
1 years of NRS records, 5 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Renn
-
Renn Dickson Hampden
politician; Anglican priest
English bishop of Hereford and theologian
1793-1868
-
Renn Hampden
politician; plantation owner
politician, died 1852
?-1852
Related
Names similar to Renn
- Ryan 68,692
- Riley 37,992
- Robert 27,462
- Reuben 25,122
- Rhys 24,418
- Reece 24,329
- Rory 21,870
- Roman 16,609
- Ronnie 16,445
- Reggie 14,684
- Rowan 14,371
- Ralph 8,892
FAQ
Renn: questions and answers
How popular is the name Renn in the UK right now?
In 2024, Renn was ranked #1675 for boys in England and Wales, with 15 births registered.
When was Renn most popular?
The peak year on record was 2024, with 15 babies registered as Renn in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Renn?
A unisex name possibly derived from the Old English word "ren" meaning journey.
How many people are called Renn in the UK?
A total of 61 babies have been registered as Renn across the 7 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 5 more in Scotland.
Where is Renn most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Renn ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #535 in 2024. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.