NameCensus.

UK surname

Renton

A locational surname referring to someone from Renton, a town in Scotland.

In the 1881 census there were 1,835 people recorded with the Renton surname, ranking it #2,370 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,346, ranked #2,785, down from #2,370 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Coldingham, London parishes and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Chirnside and Area, Berwickshire Central and Northumberland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Renton is 2,371 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 27.8%.

1881 census count

1,835

Ranked #2,370

Modern count

2,346

2016, ranked #2,785

Peak year

2010

2,371 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Renton had 1,835 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,370 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,346 in 2016, ranked #2,785.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,202 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Renton surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Renton surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Renton 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 1,250 #2,283
1861 historical 1,301 #2,194
1881 historical 1,835 #2,370
1891 historical 1,973 #2,339
1901 historical 2,202 #2,453
1911 historical 1,301 #3,664
1997 modern 2,208 #2,811
1998 modern 2,304 #2,807
1999 modern 2,346 #2,777
2000 modern 2,317 #2,786
2001 modern 2,254 #2,800
2002 modern 2,293 #2,821
2003 modern 2,244 #2,812
2004 modern 2,254 #2,798
2005 modern 2,263 #2,756
2006 modern 2,253 #2,771
2007 modern 2,257 #2,787
2008 modern 2,268 #2,803
2009 modern 2,346 #2,784
2010 modern 2,371 #2,821
2011 modern 2,355 #2,800
2012 modern 2,320 #2,790
2013 modern 2,338 #2,817
2014 modern 2,341 #2,826
2015 modern 2,327 #2,813
2016 modern 2,346 #2,785

Geography

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Where Rentons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Coldingham, London parishes, Gateshead, Edinburgh and Bradford. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Chirnside and Area, Berwickshire Central, Northumberland and Duns. 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 Coldingham Berwick
2 London parishes London 3
3 Gateshead Durham
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Chirnside and Area Scottish Borders
2 Berwickshire Central Scottish Borders
3 Northumberland 001 Northumberland
4 Duns Scottish Borders
5 Northumberland 002 Northumberland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Renton

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Renton

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Renton surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Renton household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Renton 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

Renton 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

Renton falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Renton is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

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

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Renton

The surname Renton originates from Scotland and is derived from the place name Renton, a town located in the Renfrewshire region of the Scottish Lowlands. The name is believed to have originated in the 12th century and is rooted in the Old English words "raefn" meaning "raven" and "tun" meaning "farm" or "settlement."

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname Renton can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which were a series of homage rolls documenting those who swore fealty to King Edward I of England after his conquest of parts of Scotland. The name appears as "Renthon" in these rolls.

In the 16th century, the surname Renton appeared in various Scottish records, including the Register of the Privy Seal of Scotland in 1569, where a "Johne Rentoun" was mentioned. The Rentons were prominent landowners in the Renfrewshire area during this time.

One notable figure with the surname Renton was Sir Thomas Renton (1570-1631), a Scottish judge and Lord Advocate of Scotland from 1628 to 1631. He played a significant role in the legal and political affairs of Scotland during the reign of King Charles I.

Another prominent figure was Sir Robert Renton (1671-1742), a Scottish merchant and Lord Provost of Edinburgh from 1726 to 1728. He was involved in the trade and commerce of the city and was instrumental in promoting economic development.

In the 19th century, Sir Archibald Renton (1810-1891) was a Scottish lawyer and judge who served as Lord President of the Court of Session, the highest civil court in Scotland, from 1867 to 1888.

The surname Renton has also been associated with various place names in Scotland, such as Rentonhill, a village in East Renfrewshire, and Renton Farm, located near the town of Renton itself.

While the surname Renton is predominantly Scottish in origin, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through Scottish migration and settlement.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Renton families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Renton 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 423 Rentons recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.38x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 423 2.38x
Berwickshire 262 120.74x
Midlothian 249 10.37x
Northumberland 162 6.08x
Durham 81 1.52x
Lanarkshire 70 1.21x
Lancashire 68 0.32x
East Lothian 60 25.28x
Middlesex 52 0.29x
Renfrewshire 46 3.31x
Roxburghshire 44 13.56x
Fife 41 3.87x
West Lothian 29 10.75x
Surrey 28 0.32x
Kent 27 0.44x
Selkirkshire 24 14.80x
Angus 19 1.14x
Devon 18 0.48x
Stirlingshire 17 2.57x
Sussex 15 0.50x
Lincolnshire 12 0.42x
Cornwall 11 0.54x
Essex 9 0.25x
Ayrshire 8 0.60x
Banffshire 8 2.15x
Hampshire 7 0.19x
Warwickshire 7 0.15x
Dunbartonshire 6 1.25x
Orkney 6 3.04x
Aberdeenshire 5 0.30x
Isle of Man 4 1.20x
Cheshire 3 0.08x
Cumberland 3 0.19x
Peeblesshire 2 2.37x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.09x
Buteshire 1 0.92x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.09x
Clackmannanshire 1 0.68x
Dorset 1 0.09x
Glamorgan 1 0.03x
Leicestershire 1 0.05x
Norfolk 1 0.04x
Royal Navy 1 0.47x
Westmorland 1 0.25x
Worcestershire 1 0.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Edinburgh St Cuthberts in Midlothian leads with 99 Rentons recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.25x.

Place Total Index
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 99 10.25x
Leeds 61 6.08x
Edrom 48 516.68x
Berwick Upon Tweed 45 79.66x
Chapel Allerton 42 158.07x
Coldstream 37 235.67x
Abbey 31 14.63x
Coldingham 28 143.52x
Bathgate 26 44.38x
South Leith 25 9.25x
Manningham 24 10.97x
Bishopwearmouth 23 5.03x
Bradford 23 5.35x
Greenlaw 23 299.48x
Everton 19 2.80x
Armley 18 22.98x
Barony 18 1.23x
Dalkeith 17 35.90x
Eyemouth 17 93.87x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 17 7.36x
North Leith 17 15.30x
Westgate 17 10.30x
Ecclesall Bierlow 16 4.43x
Hunslet 16 5.78x
Innerwick 16 335.43x
Huddersfield 15 5.80x
Cockburnspath 14 201.73x
Govan 14 0.98x
Selkirk 14 30.65x
Montrose 13 12.92x
Stockton On Tees 13 5.06x
Tweedmouth 13 39.11x
Newington 12 1.81x
Westoe 12 3.97x
Abbotshall 11 27.75x
Elswick 11 5.17x
Fogo 11 383.28x
Hackney London 11 1.09x
Knaresborough 11 39.44x
Lauder 11 91.74x
Melrose 11 39.20x
Crawfordjohn 10 193.05x
Fewston 10 505.05x
Great Houghton 10 452.49x
Markinch 10 27.77x
Stow 10 81.04x
Bolton Abbey 9 1034.48x
Brotherton 9 126.40x
Cathcart 9 11.98x
Duddingston 9 18.68x
Duddo 9 810.81x
Edinburgh Buccleuch 9 15.85x
Edinburgh St Georges 9 18.07x
Humbie 9 160.71x
Hutton 9 151.52x
Lanteglos By Fowey 9 108.96x
Liberton 9 24.28x
Sunderland 9 9.56x
Beath 8 23.87x
Crowland 8 44.52x
Dunbar 8 24.04x
Dunse 8 38.87x
Gamrie 8 19.28x
Hove 8 6.03x
Idle 8 9.72x
Lambeth 8 0.51x
Middlesbrough 8 3.46x
Mousen 8 2000.00x
Old Monkland 8 3.48x
Oxnam 8 190.93x
Shipley 8 8.68x
Swinton 8 134.91x
Bolton In Bradford 7 61.51x
Deptford St Paul 7 1.48x
Exeter St John 7 263.16x
Higham Dykes 7 5000.00x
Kirk Hammerton 7 406.98x
Linton 7 207.10x
Liverpool 7 0.54x
Prestonpans 7 43.97x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 63
William 51
George 41
James 39
Thomas 30
Joseph 20
Robert 15
Arthur 14
Henry 9
Samuel 9
Walter 8
Benjamin 6
Charles 6
Richard 6
Francis 5
Ralph 5
Tom 5
Albany 4
Alfred 4
Edward 4
Ernest 4
Herbert 4
Jno. 4
Adam 3
Alexander 3
Andrew 3
Benson 3
David 3
Frank 3
Geo. 3
Harry 3
Thos. 3
Albert 2
Alexr. 2
Amherst 2
Edwin 2
Fred 2
Gregory 2
Hugh 2
Oliver 2
Percy 2
Albaney 1
Alexandra 1
Alister 1
Cyril 1
Dan 1
Emily 1
Isaac 1
Jas. 1
Wm.Hy. 1

FAQ

Renton surname: questions and answers

How common was the Renton surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,835 people were recorded with the Renton surname. That placed it at #2,370 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Renton surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,346 in 2016. That gives Renton a modern rank of #2,785.

What does the Renton surname mean?

A locational surname referring to someone from Renton, a town in Scotland.

What does the Renton map show?

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