Renner History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The earliest origins of the name Renner date back to the time of the Anglo-Saxons. The name is derived from the baptismal name Rainer, which was taken from the Old Germanic name Raginhari which means counsel and army. Baptismal names began to appear as surnames relatively late in the growth of the naming tradition. This is a little surprising, given the popularity of biblical figures in the Christian countries of Europe. Nevertheless, surnames derived from baptismal names grew in popularity during the Middle Ages, and have become one of the foremost sources for surnames.

Early Origins of the Renner family

The surname Renner was first found in Herefordshire. The name was first recorded as Raynerus (Rainerus), a tenant in chief in the Domesday Book of 1086. 1 A few years later Reynerus cancellarius was listed in Norfolk in 1101-1125 and Ricardus filius Rainer was listed at Winton in Hampshire in 1148. 2 The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list the name as a personal name: Reyner le Blake in Norfolk; and Reyner Custance in Norfolk. The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 list Anabilla Rayner and Thomas Rayner. 3

Early History of the Renner family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Renner research. Another 96 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1400, 1589, 1600, 1610, 1651 and 1668 are included under the topic Early Renner History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Renner Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Renner include Rayners, Rainor, Rayner, Raynor, Rainer, Raynar, Rainyer, Reyner, Rauner, Raener, Rainar, Raynere, Raynars, Raynors, Raynore, Raynare, Raynair and many more.

Early Notables of the Renner family

Distinguished members of the family include Edward Reyner (Rayner) (1600-c.1668), an English nonconforming clergyman, known as a devotional writer, born in the parish of Morley, near Leeds. Tobie Matthew, Archbishop of York, took some notice of him as a boy, and foretold that he would rise to distinction. Reyner escaped from Lincoln during the Royalist Occupation and...
Another 56 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Renner Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Renner Ranking

In the United States, the name Renner is the 2,734^th most popular surname with an estimated 12,435 people with that name. 4

Renner migration to the United States +

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Renner or a variant listed above:

Renner Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Katharina Renner, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1732 5
Conrad Renner, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1738 5
John G Renner, who arrived in New York, NY in 1749 5
Anna Catharine Renner, who arrived in New York, NY in 1749 5
Elisabeth Renner, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1751 5
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Renner Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Claus Renner, who landed in North America in 1832-1849 5
Sophie Renner, who arrived in North America in 1832-1849 5
Mr. John Georg Renner, aged 33, German who arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1845 aboard the ship "Neptune"
Nicolas Renner, aged 34, who arrived in New Orleans, La in 1848 5
Peter Renner, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1850 5
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Renner (post 1700) +

Jeremy Lee Renner (b. 1971), American actor and musician
Jack Renner (b. 1956), American professional PGA golfer
Bill Renner (b. 1959), American former punter in the National Football League
Jack Renner (b. 1935), American classically-trained musician and recording engineer
Paul Renner (1878-1956), American typeface designer, best known for the font Futura
Gus Renner, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate in primary for Michigan State Senate 1st District, 1942 6
Gordon Renner, American Republican politician, Member of Ohio State House of Representatives from Hamilton County; Elected 1938 6
Frederick Renner, American politician, Delegate to Nebraska State Constitutional Convention, 1864 6
Edith Renner, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from South Dakota, 2004 6
Arnold Renner, American politician, Candidate for Mayor of Monroe, Michigan, 1931 6
... (Another 15 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 21) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html