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Show ContentsRenfroe History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

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  • Scotland Scotland
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Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

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

Early Origins of the Renfroe family

The surname Renfroe 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 Renfroe family

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

Renfroe Spelling Variations

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

Early Notables of the Renfroe family

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

Renfroe Ranking

In the United States, the name Renfroe is the 6,256th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 4

United States Renfroe migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Renfroe Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • William A Renfroe, aged 22, who landed in America, in 1921

Contemporary Notables of the name Renfroe (post 1700) +

  • Scott Renfroe (b. 1966), American politician, Member of the Colorado Senate from the 13th district
  • Owen Renfroe (d. 2012), American Daytime Emmy Award winning television soap opera director and former editor, best known for his work on General Hospital
  • Moses Renfroe, American settler of middle Tennessee in 1780
  • Marshall Daniel Renfroe (1936-1970), American Major League Baseball pitcher
  • Cohen Williams "Laddie" Renfroe (b. 1962), American former Major League Baseball pitcher
  • Gilbert Renfroe (b. 1963), American former professional NFL and CFL football quarterback
  • Earl W. Renfroe (1907-2000), American orthodontist, pioneer in breaking down the barriers of racism in medicine
  • Anita Renfroe (b. 1962), American Christian comedian from Atlanta, Georgia, regular commentator on Good Morning America
  • John W. Renfroe, American Democratic Party politician, Georgia State Treasurer, 1876-80; Postmaster at Atlanta, Georgia, 1886-89 5
  • J. L. Renfroe, American politician, Circuit Judge in Georgia Ogeechee Circuit, 1953 5
  1. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  2. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of Scotland. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  3. 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)
  4. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  5. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 21) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
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