Renfro History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland

The Renfro surname is of local origin, derived from the town so called in Renfrewshire.

Early Origins of the Renfro family

The surname Renfro was first found in Renfrew, a parish, burgh, and market-town, in the Upper ward of Renfrewshire. 1 "This place appears to have derived its name and signifies "a point of land in the midst of the waters," from the situation of the ancient town near the conflux of the rivers Clyde and Gryfe, which, before they were confined to their present channels, almost surrounded its site; and the appellation was subsequently given to the parish, and also to the county. The origin of the town may be justly attributed to the family of the Stuarts, afterwards kings of Scotland, to whose ancestor, Walter, the adjacent territory was granted by David I., who appointed him steward of the royal household, and invested him with many honours. The town gradually rose up around the castle of Renfrew, which was erected on one of the numerous islands which at that time divided the channel of the Clyde, for the residence of the lord of the manor; and this isle, since the accession of the Stuarts to the crown, has been distinguished by the name of the King's Inch." 2

Some of the first records of the family include: "Adam de Reynfru of the county of Edeneburk [who] rendered homage in 1296 [to King Edward I of England], and Robert Reynreu or Reynfru, a Scots prisoner of war from Stirling, [who] was incarcerated in the Castle of Old Sarum between 1304-1307. Galfridus Renfrew appears in Aberdeen, 1408. Bartholomew Renfrew appears as a charter witness in Glasgow in 1481. Robert Renfrew in Abbey parish, Paisley, 1772." 3

Early History of the Renfro family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Renfro research. Another 78 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1304, 1404, 1408 and 1772 are included under the topic Early Renfro History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Renfro Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Renfrew, Renfrye, Reynfrew, Rainfrew, Renfro, Renfroe and many more.

Early Notables of the Renfro family

More information is included under the topic Early Renfro Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Renfro Ranking

In the United States, the name Renfro is the 3,121^st most popular surname with an estimated 9,948 people with that name. 4

Renfro migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Renfro Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

John C. Renfro, aged 40, who landed in America, in 1895

Renfro Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Ferry Renfro, aged 42, who landed in America, in 1908
Jerry Renfro, aged 44, who settled in America, in 1911

Contemporary Notables of the name Renfro (post 1700) +

Marli Renfro (b. 1938), American former showgirl, model and actress; she played the uncredited body double for Janet Leigh in the shower scene of the 1960 film Psycho
Maggie Mae Thornton Renfro (1895-2010), American supercentenarian who at 114 was the third oldest person in the United States at the time of her death
Leonard Renfro (b. 1970), former professional American football defensive tackle who played for the Philadelphia Eagles from 1993 to 1994
Julia Renfro, American editor-in-chief of the English-language Aruba Today News Magazine
Elza Tillman Renfro (1902-1935), American football, basketball, and baseball player and coach
Alfred T. Renfro (1877-1964), American artist, editorial cartoonist, photographer and architect, co-founder of the Beaux Arts Village
Raymond "Ray" Renfro (1929-1997), American professional NFL football player who played for the Cleveland Browns (1952-1963)
Melvin Lacy "Mel" Renfro (b. 1941), American former NFL football defensive back for the Dallas Cowboys (1964-1977)
Brad Barron Renfro (1982-2008), American multiple award winning actor, known for Ghost World (2001), Apt Pupil (1998) and Bully (2001); he died from a heroin overdose
Will Ellis Renfro (1932-2010), American NFL football offensive end
... (Another 9 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of Scotland. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/