Surname Renaut - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'R'
Renaut: What does the surname Renaut mean?
The last name Renaut is of French origin and is derived from the Old French “renault”, meaning “wild wolf”. This is an apt name for a family that can be traced back to the medieval period, when wolves prowled the countryside and terrified rural communities.
In the medieval times, wolves were pesky animals that destroyed crops, destroyed livestock, and posed a serious threat to humans. The name Renaut reflects the struggles people in the Middle Ages faced, as well as the bravery and skill needed to fend off wild animals and protect one’s own family and property.
Renaut is also a surname that has historical importance, as it is linked with several noble and heroic French families in the medieval period.
This surname is also associated with the French Reinaud family, a prominent family in France during the 12th and 14th centuries. Members of this family were known to have taken part in several high-profile battles and have been praised for their courage and leadership qualities.
The name Renaut today is widely used as a surname by people across France and other countries, and can be a source of pride and connection to one’s past.
Order DNA origin analysisRenaut: Where does the name Renaut come from?
The last name Renaut is most commonly found in France today. According to Forebears, the surname is particularly common in the region of Aquitaine. It is the 387th most common birth name in France, with about 35,000 people having the surname. The top locations where Renaut is most frequent are the cities of Bordeaux, Bayonne, Mérignac, and Pau.
The name Renaut is also found in some other countries around Europe. It is the 980th most common birth name in Switzerland and the 1,888th common surname in Belgium. There are a few people with Renaut as a surname who live in Luxembourg, but it is much less common there than in France.
In Canada, the name is an uncommon one, with only about 170 people having the surname. It is also found in the United States, but is not especially common, ranking 8,051 on the frequency list.
Renaut is most likely derived from the Old French personal name Reynold, which itself is derived from the Germanic personal name Reginwald, composed of the elements regin, meaning 'wise' or 'decision', and wald, meaning 'rule'. This personal name was popular with the early Normans, and the surname Renaut has been in existence since the 13th century.
Variations of the surname Renaut
Renaut is an occupational surname, derived from the medieval French term for an animal trainer, which was first used in the 11th century. It has various spellings in French, including Renoult and Renaud, and appears in other languages with slight variations, such as Renaudo in Italian and Renau in Spanish.
Variants of Renaut can also be found in other parts of the world, including Renaudat in the United States, Renoud in Canada, Rahnoud in Germany, Rimon in Israel, and Rinno in Japan. All of these variants come from the original medieval French source, and represent different phonetic spellings of the same name.
Surnames that are related to Renaut can also be found in different languages. For example, the Dutch variants Rienen and Rijnink may slightly differ in spelling but are descended from the same source. Similarly, the German variants Rahn and Rehne, and the Italian variants Rienzo and Rianello, are all related to Renaut.
In the United Kingdom and other English-speaking countries, some forms of the Renaut surname may be related to Reiner, Reynold, and Reginald, which all share the same Germanic root. Additionally, the French version of the name is often anglicised to Reynold, which is also related to the other spellings.
Despite variations in spelling, the main source of all variants of the Renaut surname is the same: it is derived from the medieval French term for animal trainer.
Famous people with the name Renaut
- André Renaut: French physicist and structural biologist
- Catherine Renaud: French filmmaker
- Christian Renaut: French former professional cyclist
- Christiane Renaut: French former Alpine skier
- Édouard Renaut: French film producer
- Henri Renaut: French mathematician
- Jean-Michel Renaut: French sprint canoer
- Jocelyne Renaut: French costume designer
- John Renaut: English former cricketer
- Luc Renaut: French road bicycle racer
- Marie Renaut: French filmmaker and documentarian
- Olivier Renaut: French weightlifter
- Pierre Renaut: French former professional footballer
- Robert Renaut: French mathematician
- Thérèse Renaut: French film editor