NameCensus.

UK surname

Renfrew

A Scottish habitational surname derived from the town of Renfrew in Scotland.

In the 1881 census there were 479 people recorded with the Renfrew surname, ranking it #6,993 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 604, ranked #8,674, down from #6,993 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, Mearns and Glasgow. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Port Glasgow Upper, West and Central, Cross Stobbs and Crail and Boarhills.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Renfrew is 607 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 26.1%.

1881 census count

479

Ranked #6,993

Modern count

604

2016, ranked #8,674

Peak year

2014

607 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Renfrew had 479 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,993 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 604 in 2016, ranked #8,674.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 513 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities.

Renfrew surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Renfrew surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Renfrew 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 282 #8,013
1861 historical 326 #7,814
1881 historical 479 #6,993
1891 historical 449 #8,085
1901 historical 513 #7,901
1911 historical 40 #28,913
1997 modern 562 #8,527
1998 modern 550 #8,937
1999 modern 550 #8,984
2000 modern 551 #8,930
2001 modern 556 #8,732
2002 modern 564 #8,811
2003 modern 570 #8,619
2004 modern 578 #8,559
2005 modern 579 #8,482
2006 modern 584 #8,450
2007 modern 584 #8,534
2008 modern 587 #8,562
2009 modern 580 #8,806
2010 modern 602 #8,766
2011 modern 581 #8,908
2012 modern 603 #8,573
2013 modern 592 #8,833
2014 modern 607 #8,721
2015 modern 606 #8,667
2016 modern 604 #8,674

Geography

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Where Renfrews are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, Mearns, Glasgow, Paisley Abbey and Eastwood. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Port Glasgow Upper, West and Central, Cross Stobbs, Crail and Boarhills, Bute and West Neilston and Uplawmoor. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Govan Combination Lanark
2 Mearns Renfrew
3 Glasgow Lanark
4 Paisley Abbey Renfrew
5 Eastwood Renfrew

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Port Glasgow Upper, West and Central Inverclyde
2 Cross Stobbs East Renfrewshire
3 Crail and Boarhills Fife
4 Bute Argyll and Bute
5 West Neilston and Uplawmoor East Renfrewshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Renfrew

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Renfrew

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

Legacy Communities

Group

Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities

Nationally, the Renfrew surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities, within Legacy Communities. This does not mean every Renfrew household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Households in these areas often include divorced or separated parents and commonly include children and young adults. The age structure is heavily skewed towards the most advanced age groups. Individuals identifying as members of ethnic minorities are not present in large numbers. Flats predominate, with some terraced, semi-detached, and detached units. Multiple car ownership is low, and housing is predominantly in the private and social rented sectors. Employment is less skewed towards traditional routine industrial occupations. Levels of educational attainment are generally low. The Group occurs principally in the Central Lowlands of Scotland and other Scottish towns.

Wider pattern

These neighbourhoods characteristically comprise pockets of flats that are scattered across the UK, particularly in towns that retain or have legacies of heavy industry or are in more remote seaside locations. Employed residents of these neighbourhoods work mainly in low-skilled occupations. Residents typically have limited educational qualifications. Unemployment is above average. Some residents live in overcrowded housing within the social rented sector and experience long-term disability. All adult age groups are represented, although there is an overall age bias towards elderly people in general and the very old in particular. Individuals identifying as belonging to ethnic minorities or Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups are uncommon.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Renfrew 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

Renfrew is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Renfrew falls in decile 10 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.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Renfrew is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

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

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Renfrew

The surname Renfrew has its origins in Scotland, tracing back to the 12th century. It is a locational name derived from the town of Renfrew, located in the historic county of Renfrewshire. The name is thought to come from the Gaelic words "rinn" meaning "point" and "friuidh" meaning "stream" or "place of the stream."

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Renfrew can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which were a series of homage rolls documenting those who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. The name appears as "Walter de Renfreu," suggesting a connection to the town of Renfrew.

Throughout the Middle Ages, the name Renfrew appears in various Scottish records and charters. In 1451, a charter from King James II of Scotland mentions "John Renfrew," indicating the surname's use at the time. Additionally, the name is found in the Scottish Exchequer Rolls from the 15th and 16th centuries, which recorded financial transactions and records.

Notable individuals bearing the Renfrew surname include Sir Walter Renfrew, a Scottish knight who fought alongside Robert the Bruce during the Wars of Scottish Independence in the early 14th century. Another prominent figure was Robert Renfrew (c. 1510-1582), a Scottish clergyman who served as the Dean of Moray and Rector of Pettinain.

In the 17th century, a branch of the Renfrew family settled in Ulster, Northern Ireland, during the Plantation of Ulster. This led to the surname's spread throughout Ireland and later to other parts of the world through emigration.

Other notable individuals with the Renfrew surname include John Renfrew (1822-1895), a Scottish architect known for designing several churches and public buildings in Glasgow, and William Renfrew (1834-1906), a Canadian politician who served as a member of the House of Commons of Canada.

The Renfrew surname has also been associated with various place names throughout Scotland, such as Renfrew County in Ontario, Canada, which was named after the town of Renfrew in Scotland. Additionally, there are various spellings and variations of the name, including Renfroo, Renfroe, and Renfro, which have been adopted in different regions.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Renfrew families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Renfrew 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. Renfrewshire leads with 212 Renfrews recorded in 1881 and an index of 58.67x.

County Total Index
Renfrewshire 212 58.67x
Lanarkshire 188 12.47x
Stirlingshire 18 10.47x
Ayrshire 15 4.30x
Lancashire 13 0.24x
Dunbartonshire 12 9.58x
Perthshire 5 2.39x
Dumfriesshire 4 3.88x
West Lothian 4 5.70x
Cornwall 2 0.38x
Argyllshire 1 0.77x
Buteshire 1 3.54x
Derbyshire 1 0.14x
Kent 1 0.06x
Middlesex 1 0.02x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Govan in Lanarkshire leads with 59 Renfrews recorded in 1881 and an index of 15.82x.

Place Total Index
Govan 59 15.82x
Glasgow 57 21.29x
Barony 50 13.10x
Abbey 31 56.22x
Paisley High Church 31 107.75x
Mearns 24 379.15x
Neilston 21 115.77x
Paisley Middle Church 18 85.55x
Strathblane 18 837.21x
Kilbarchan 17 154.83x
Paisley Low Church 15 131.12x
Port Glasgow 11 62.97x
Erskine 8 304.18x
Gorton 8 15.38x
Lochwinnoch 8 148.42x
Maybole 8 75.26x
Houston Killallan 7 200.00x
Renfrew 7 58.68x
Eaglesham 5 226.24x
Logie 5 66.58x
Shettleston 5 37.04x
West Derby 5 3.09x
Bathgate 4 26.25x
Gorbals 4 44.69x
Hamilton 4 9.51x
Kirkconnell 4 245.40x
Kirkoswald 4 140.35x
Maryhill 4 13.55x
Old Kilpatrick 4 27.01x
Eastwood 3 13.48x
New Kilpatrick 3 25.17x
Row 3 18.51x
West Greenock 3 4.63x
Blantyre 2 12.74x
Cardross 2 13.30x
Cathcart 2 10.23x
Redruth 2 13.40x
Beard Ollerset Whitle 1 20.83x
East Kilbride 1 15.48x
Inchinnan 1 121.95x
Irvine 1 10.32x
Knapdale South 1 22.42x
New Monkland 1 2.24x
Old Monkland 1 1.67x
Rothesay 1 7.31x
St Botolph Aldersgate 1 18.69x
Straiton 1 50.51x
Swanscombe 1 13.99x
Tarbolton 1 17.42x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 3
Jane 2
Eliza 1
Emily 1
Margaret 1
Mary 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
George 2
Thomas 2
Frederick 1
James 1
John 1
Richard 1
William 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Renfrew households.

FAQ

Renfrew surname: questions and answers

How common was the Renfrew surname in 1881?

In 1881, 479 people were recorded with the Renfrew surname. That placed it at #6,993 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Renfrew surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 604 in 2016. That gives Renfrew a modern rank of #8,674.

What does the Renfrew surname mean?

A Scottish habitational surname derived from the town of Renfrew in Scotland.

What does the Renfrew map show?

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