UK boy's name
Renny
A feminine diminutive of the Hebrew name Renata meaning "reborn".
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.
Renny is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Renny popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #5119, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2016, with 5 births.
This profile covers 21 England and Wales registrations across 6 recorded years from 2001 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, 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.
The latest count is about 60% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 21 living people in the UK are called Renny. 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
- • Renny ranked #5119 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2016, when 5 boys were registered as Renny.
- • About 21 living people in the UK are estimated to have Renny as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#5119
2024
Births in 2024
3
Latest year
Peak year
2016
5 births
Estimated living
21
2026
Meaning
What does Renny mean?
The name Renny is believed to have its origins in the French language, where it was derived from the name Rene. Rene, in turn, is thought to have originated from the Germanic name Reinold, which is composed of the elements "ragin" meaning "counsel" and "wald" meaning "rule."
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Rene can be found in the 10th century, when it was borne by Rene I, Duke of Anjou, who lived from 1409 to 1480. Rene was a prominent figure during the Renaissance period and was known for his patronage of the arts and literature.
The name Renny is also associated with Renny Harlin, a Finnish film director and producer known for his work on action movies such as Die Hard 2 (1990), Cliffhanger (1993), and Deep Blue Sea (1999). Harlin was born in 1959 and has had a successful career in Hollywood.
Another notable individual with the name Renny is Renny Harlin's ex-wife, actress Geena Davis, who was born in 1956. Davis is known for her roles in films such as Thelma & Louise (1991), A League of Their Own (1992), and The Accidental Tourist (1988), for which she won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.
In literature, the name Renny appears in the novel "The Haunting of Hill House" by Shirley Jackson, published in 1959. In the book, Renny is a character who joins a group of people investigating a haunted house.
Renny Wilson was an American jazz pianist and composer who lived from 1920 to 1998. He was known for his work with the Stan Kenton Orchestra and his contributions to the West Coast jazz scene.
While the name Renny may have its origins in French and Germanic languages, it has been adopted and used across various cultures and regions, making it a unique and diverse name with a rich history.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Renny over time
The chart below shows babies named Renny registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2001 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 Renny, the clearest high point is 2016. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2024, compared with 5 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Renny by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Renny 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 | #4954 | 6 | 2 |
| 2010s | #4092 | 12 | 3 |
| 2000s | #3134 | 3 | 1 |
Related
Names similar to Renny
- 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
Renny: questions and answers
How popular is the name Renny in the UK right now?
In 2024, Renny was ranked #5119 for boys in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Renny most popular?
The peak year on record was 2016, with 5 babies registered as Renny in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Renny?
A feminine diminutive of the Hebrew name Renata meaning "reborn".
How many people are called Renny in the UK?
A total of 21 babies have been registered as Renny across the 6 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.
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.