NameCensus.

UK surname

Renaut

A surname derived from the French personal name Renaud, of Germanic origin meaning "counsel-rule."

In the 1881 census there were 86 people recorded with the Renaut surname, ranking it #21,449 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 97, ranked #31,585, down from #21,449 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Thornham, St Saviour Southwark and King's Lynn St Margaret. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Norfolk, Tandridge and Camden.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Renaut is 113 in 2004. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 12.8%.

1881 census count

86

Ranked #21,449

Modern count

97

2016, ranked #31,585

Peak year

2004

113 bearers

Map years

2

1901 to 1998

Key insights

  • Renaut had 86 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #21,449 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 97 in 2016, ranked #31,585.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 101 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Renaut surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Renaut surname density by area, 1998 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Renaut 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 8 #31,867
1861 historical 45 #28,296
1881 historical 86 #21,449
1891 historical 52 #30,061
1901 historical 101 #22,726
1911 historical 41 #28,802
1997 modern 102 #26,638
1998 modern 105 #26,822
1999 modern 108 #26,602
2000 modern 111 #26,111
2001 modern 106 #26,468
2002 modern 110 #26,412
2003 modern 107 #26,617
2004 modern 113 #25,999
2005 modern 98 #28,325
2006 modern 90 #29,893
2007 modern 93 #29,777
2008 modern 89 #30,713
2009 modern 90 #31,094
2010 modern 96 #30,854
2011 modern 102 #29,759
2012 modern 101 #30,078
2013 modern 102 #30,415
2014 modern 101 #30,855
2015 modern 100 #31,005
2016 modern 97 #31,585

Geography

Back to top

Where Renauts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Thornham, St Saviour Southwark, King's Lynn St Margaret, Gateshead and Walthamstow, Low Leyton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Norfolk, Tandridge, Camden and West Berkshire. 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 Thornham Norfolk
2 St Saviour Southwark London (South Districts)
3 King's Lynn St Margaret Norfolk
4 Gateshead Durham
5 Walthamstow, Low Leyton Essex

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Norfolk 013 South Norfolk
2 Tandridge 008 Tandridge
3 Camden 012 Camden
4 South Norfolk 012 South Norfolk
5 West Berkshire 018 West Berkshire

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Renaut

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Renaut

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Renaut, 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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Renaut surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Renaut household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Renaut is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Renaut is most concentrated in decile 5 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Renaut falls in decile 9 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Renaut is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

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

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Other

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

Meaning and origin of Renaut

The surname Renaut has its origins in France, emerging during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the old French personal name Renault, which itself is a diminutive form of the Germanic name Reinhold. The root elements "rain" and "wald" translate to "counsel" and "rule" respectively, suggesting that the name may have initially been bestowed upon someone who served as a trusted advisor or ruler.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which documented landholders in England following the Norman Conquest. The entry "Reinaldus" is believed to refer to an individual with the modern spelling of Renaut. This indicates that the name had already spread beyond its French origins by the 11th century.

In the 12th century, a nobleman named Renaut de Montauban was mentioned in the French epic poem "Les Quatre Fils Aymon" (The Four Sons of Aymon). Renaut was one of the four sons who rebelled against Charlemagne, and the poem recounts their adventures and exploits.

During the 13th century, a French trouvère (poet and musician) named Renaut de Beaujeu composed several chansons de geste, or epic poems. One of his most famous works was "Le Bel Inconnu" (The Fair Unknown), which tells the story of a knight who undertakes a series of adventures to win the hand of a beautiful and virtuous maiden.

In the 14th century, a French lawyer and diplomat named Renaut de Loubens played a significant role in the negotiations that led to the Treaty of Brétigny in 1360, which temporarily ended the Hundred Years' War between England and France.

Another notable figure was Jean Renaut (1432-1498), a French composer and singer who served as the master of the choir at the Sainte-Chapelle in Paris during the reign of Louis XI.

Throughout the centuries, the surname Renaut has maintained its presence across various regions of France, particularly in areas such as Normandy, Burgundy, and Île-de-France. It has also been found in other parts of Europe, including England, where it may have been introduced by Norman settlers or later French immigrants.

While the name has evolved in spelling and pronunciation over time, with variations such as Renault, Renaude, and Reneault, its origins can be traced back to the rich linguistic and cultural heritage of medieval France.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Renaut families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Renaut 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. Norfolk leads with 37 Renauts recorded in 1881 and an index of 24.67x.

County Total Index
Norfolk 37 24.67x
Surrey 17 3.58x
Channel Islands 16 55.36x
Essex 8 4.15x
Lincolnshire 7 4.49x
Hertfordshire 5 7.44x
Middlesex 5 0.51x
Gloucestershire 4 2.09x
Durham 1 0.34x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Thornham in Norfolk leads with 18 Renauts recorded in 1881 and an index of 8181.82x.

Place Total Index
Thornham 18 8181.82x
South Lynn 10 591.72x
Leyton 8 240.96x
Southwark St Saviour 8 159.68x
Gainsborough 7 190.22x
Hunstanton 6 1176.47x
Lambeth 6 7.05x
St Helier 6 63.76x
Royston 5 877.19x
St Peter 5 602.41x
Painswick 4 296.30x
Westminster St John 4 33.67x
Wandsworth 3 31.95x
Kings Lynn St Margaret 2 44.44x
St Brelade 2 270.27x
Brancaster 1 384.62x
Grouville 1 123.46x
Islington London 1 1.06x
South Shields 1 38.61x
St John 1 181.82x
Trinity 1 149.25x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Thomas 6
William 6
Charles 4
James 3
John 3
Samuel 3
Arthur 2
Edward 2
Albert 1
Benj. 1
Bertram 1
Clement 1
E.J. 1
Edwd.J. 1
Ernest 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
Frederick 1
Fredk 1
George 1
Herbert 1
Julien 1
Philip 1
Raphael 1

FAQ

Renaut surname: questions and answers

How common was the Renaut surname in 1881?

In 1881, 86 people were recorded with the Renaut surname. That placed it at #21,449 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Renaut surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 97 in 2016. That gives Renaut a modern rank of #31,585.

What does the Renaut surname mean?

A surname derived from the French personal name Renaud, of Germanic origin meaning "counsel-rule."

What does the Renaut map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Renaut 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.