Explore the Family Name Rene

The meaning of Rene

1. French and Mauritian (René); West Indian (in Haiti, Guadeloupe, and Martinique René): from the French personal name René, from Latin Renatus ‘reborn’, borne by a 4th-century Christian saint, and popular in France throughout the Middle Ages because of its transparent reference to Christian spiritual rebirth. This surname is most common in Haiti. Compare Reney 2 and Reny 1. 2. English (Middlesex): variant of Raine. Some characteristic forenames: French/Haitian Andre, Marcel, Pierre, Antoine, Collette, Emile, Fernand, Fernande, Frenel, Gaetan, Gisele, Jacques.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Rene in the United States?

The surname Rene has shown a significant increase in popularity between the years 2000 and 2010. The Decennial U.S. Census data reveals that the rank of the surname improved from 12,942 to 10,860, showing a positive change of 16.09%. In terms of absolute numbers, the count of individuals bearing the surname Rene increased by 34.85%, going from 2,175 in 2000 to 2,933 in 2010. Similarly, the proportion per 100,000 people also saw an increase of 22.22% over the decade.

20002010Change
Rank#12,942#10,86016.09%
Count2,1752,93334.85%
Proportion per 100k0.810.9922.22%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Rene

As for the ethnic identity associated with the surname Rene, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows some notable shifts between 2000 and 2010. The highest percentage belonged to the Black ethnicity, which experienced an upward trend from 51.22% to 62.80%, marking an increase of 22.61%. The Hispanic ethnicity also saw a rise from 7.13% to 8.52%. However, the White ethnicity decreased from 33.79% to 24.45%. There was also a significant drop in people who identify as Two or more races, from 5.70% to 2.35%. The Asian/Pacific Islander identity group showed a decrease as well, from 1.75% to 1.19%. Interestingly, those identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native, although still a small group, saw a considerable increase from 0.41% to 0.68%.

20002010Change
Black51.22%62.8%22.61%
White33.79%24.45%-27.64%
Hispanic7.13%8.52%19.5%
Two or More Races5.7%2.35%-58.77%
Asian/Pacific Islander1.75%1.19%-32%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0.41%0.68%65.85%