NameCensus.

UK surname

Renard

A French surname meaning "fox," likely referring to someone who was clever or cunning.

In the 1881 census there were 85 people recorded with the Renard surname, ranking it #21,573 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 149, ranked #23,844, down from #21,573 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bradford, Barnsley and Cheshire East.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Renard is 151 in 2012. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 75.3%.

1881 census count

85

Ranked #21,573

Modern count

149

2016, ranked #23,844

Peak year

2012

151 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Renard had 85 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #21,573 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 149 in 2016, ranked #23,844.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 89 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Diverse Educated Urban Singles.

Renard surname distribution map

The map shows where the Renard surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Renard surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Renard over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 82 #19,317
1861 historical 72 #24,643
1881 historical 85 #21,573
1891 historical 89 #25,542
1901 historical 79 #25,363
1911 historical 83 #24,531
1997 modern 100 #26,901
1998 modern 110 #26,129
1999 modern 119 #25,095
2000 modern 121 #24,824
2001 modern 123 #24,242
2002 modern 131 #23,793
2003 modern 125 #24,265
2004 modern 117 #25,448
2005 modern 111 #26,260
2006 modern 123 #24,873
2007 modern 112 #26,800
2008 modern 126 #25,131
2009 modern 132 #24,929
2010 modern 146 #23,921
2011 modern 145 #23,837
2012 modern 151 #23,166
2013 modern 150 #23,653
2014 modern 148 #24,075
2015 modern 150 #23,718
2016 modern 149 #23,844

Geography

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Where Renards are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bradford, Barnsley, Cheshire East, Daventry and Cheltenham. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bradford 058 Bradford
2 Barnsley 017 Barnsley
3 Cheshire East 020 Cheshire East
4 Daventry 007 Daventry
5 Cheltenham 014 Cheltenham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Renard

These lists show first names that appear often with the Renard surname in historical and recent records.

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Renard

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Renard, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Diverse Educated Urban Singles

Nationally, the Renard surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Diverse Educated Urban Singles, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Renard household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group includes many never-married individuals not living with dependent children. Many were born in EU countries and are now aged between 25-44. This Group is characterised by its ethnic group diversity, although those identifying as Asian are not well represented. Affiliation with the Christian religion amongst residents is low. Reported disability rates are low. Neighbourhoods include some central locations in London and other major cities. Private renting is the norm, and there is some overcrowding. Many individuals are educated to degree level, and full-time employment is common, particularly in managerial and professional occupations.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Renard is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Renard is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Renard falls in decile 4 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Renard is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Other

This describes the area pattern most associated with Renard, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Renard

The surname Renard originated in France during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old French word 'renard', which means fox. This name was likely given as a nickname to someone who exhibited cunning or sly behavior, akin to a fox.

In the 11th century, the Renard name appeared in various regions of northern France, particularly in Normandy and Picardy. It was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086, which suggests that some individuals with this surname may have accompanied William the Conqueror during the Norman Conquest of England.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the Renard name was Gilles Renard, born around 1160 in Rouen, Normandy. He was a prominent merchant and landowner who played a role in the development of the city's textile industry.

In the 13th century, the name Renard gained literary fame through the Old French satirical poem "Roman de Renart", which featured a trickster fox named Renart. This work became popular across Europe and may have contributed to the widespread adoption of the Renard surname.

During the Renaissance period, Jean Renard (1528-1589) was a notable French poet and translator from Lyon. He is best known for his translations of Virgil's Aeneid and Ovid's Metamorphoses into French verse.

In the 17th century, Jacques Renard (1638-1719) was a French painter and engraver from Flanders. He specialized in portraiture and religious scenes and gained recognition for his technical skills and attention to detail.

Another notable bearer of the Renard name was François Renard (1718-1788), a French architect and urban planner. He was instrumental in the redesign and modernization of several cities, including Nancy and Strasbourg, during the reign of Louis XV.

In the 19th century, Léon Renard (1839-1904) was a Belgian engineer and inventor. He is credited with developing the first successful rigid airship design, known as the Renard Dirigible, which influenced the early development of aviation.

Throughout its history, the Renard surname has been associated with various place names, such as Renardière, Renardville, and Renardière-en-Brie, reflecting the geographic distribution of this family name across France and beyond.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Renard families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Renard surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Yorkshire leads with 39 Renards recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.64x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 39 4.64x
Middlesex 13 1.53x
Surrey 9 2.18x
Hampshire 7 4.02x
Lancashire 7 0.70x
Kent 3 1.04x
Channel Islands 2 7.95x
Essex 1 0.60x
Hertfordshire 1 1.71x
Lanarkshire 1 0.36x
Lincolnshire 1 0.74x
Montgomeryshire 1 5.14x
Oxfordshire 1 1.91x
Staffordshire 1 0.35x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Baildon in Yorkshire leads with 20 Renards recorded in 1881 and an index of 1265.82x.

Place Total Index
Baildon 20 1265.82x
Wakefield 8 123.84x
Camberwell 7 12.91x
Birkdale 6 235.29x
Denny Lodge 6 7500.00x
Kensington London 5 10.60x
Shipley 4 91.74x
St Anne Soho London 4 82.47x
Hythe St Leonard 3 294.12x
Idle 3 76.92x
Chelsea London 2 7.82x
Lambeth 2 2.70x
St Helier 2 24.42x
Bradford 1 4.91x
Chipping Ongar 1 344.83x
Clifton Hampden 1 1000.00x
Fadmoor 1 2500.00x
Govan 1 1.47x
Great Grimsby 1 11.61x
Hampstead London 1 7.56x
Havant 1 113.64x
Llanidloes 1 69.44x
Salford 1 3.38x
St Marylebone London 1 2.21x
Stokesley 1 192.31x
Tipton 1 11.40x
Watford 1 22.03x
Weeton 1 1111.11x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Renard surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Renard surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Joseph 4
John 3
William 3
Albert 2
Arthur 2
Charles 2
Edward 2
George 2
James 2
Thomas 2
Walter 2
Alexandre 1
Ambrose 1
Ben 1
Constant 1
Edmund 1
Emile 1
Frank 1
Fred. 1
Frederic 1
Godfrey 1
Harry 1
Henry 1
Jno. 1
Leon 1
Peter 1
Reymond 1
Samuel 1
Terry 1
Thias 1
Tom 1
Whitaker 1

FAQ

Renard surname: questions and answers

How common was the Renard surname in 1881?

In 1881, 85 people were recorded with the Renard surname. That placed it at #21,573 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Renard surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 149 in 2016. That gives Renard a modern rank of #23,844.

What does the Renard surname mean?

A French surname meaning "fox," likely referring to someone who was clever or cunning.

What does the Renard map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Renard bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.