2000
#11,109
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,622
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.97
Rare Last name
Render
An occupational surname referring to someone who renders fat from animals or plasters walls.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,985 Americans carry the last name Render. That puts it at #11,553 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.87 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 114,826 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Render surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Render with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.0K
1 in 114,826
Census rank
#11,553
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,603 bearers of the surname Render in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.87 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11553rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Render, the largest self-reported group is Black at 50.7%. The next largest groups are White (42.8%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Render
The surname Render originates from England and dates back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English word "rendan" or "rendre", meaning "to render" or "to give back". The name likely referred to an occupation or a person who collected rents or taxes on behalf of a landowner or the Crown.
In the Hundred Rolls of 1273, one of the earliest records of English surnames, the name appears as "le Rendar" and "le Rendur". These early spellings suggest the name was initially an occupational descriptor before evolving into a hereditary surname.
The Render surname is found in various historical documents from medieval England, including the Pipe Rolls of 1195, which record a "Robert le Rendar" from Oxfordshire. In the Subsidy Rolls of 1327, a "John le Rendour" is listed in Somerset, indicating the name's presence in different regions.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Render surname is that of William Render, born in Gloucestershire around 1350. Another notable early bearer of the name was John Render, a merchant from London who lived in the late 15th century.
During the Tudor period, the Render family established themselves as landowners in various counties, including Norfolk and Suffolk. Sir Thomas Render (1510-1578) was a prominent member of this family and served as a member of Parliament for Norfolk.
In the 17th century, the Render surname gained recognition with the birth of Thomas Render (1625-1688), an English clergyman and author who wrote several theological works. Another notable figure was William Render (1640-1701), a renowned engraver and cartographer from London.
Moving to the 18th century, we find John Render (1720-1789), an English antiquarian and topographer who authored a detailed survey of Hampshire. In the same period, Elizabeth Render (1735-1801) gained recognition as a successful novelist and playwright.
As the centuries progressed, the Render surname continued to be associated with various professions and individuals, reflecting its enduring presence in English history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Render
Among Census respondents with the surname Render, the largest self-reported group is Black at 50.7%. The next largest groups are White (42.8%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Render bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Render surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American50.7% · 1,320
- White42.8% · 1,114
- Two or more races4.0% · 103
- Hispanic or Latino2.0% · 51
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 15
Timeline
Historical Census data for Render
Render appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#10,924
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,913
+291 bearers (+11.1%)
Per 100,000 0.99
Rank movement Up 185 places
2020
#11,553
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,603
-310 bearers (-10.6%)
Per 100,000 0.87
Rank movement Down 629 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,109 | 2,622 | 0.97 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,924 | 2,913 | 0.99 | +291 bearers (+11.1%) | Up 185 places |
| 2020 | #11,553 | 2,603 | 0.87 | -310 bearers (-10.6%) | Down 629 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Render surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #10,924 | #11,553 | -5.8% |
| Count | 2,913 | 2,603 | -10.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.99 | 0.87 | -12.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Render bearers went from 2,913 to 2,603 (-10.6% change). The surname moved down 629 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,924 to #11,553.
FAQ
Render surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Render?
Name Census estimates that about 2,985 living Americans carry the surname Render. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 114,826 residents.
How common is Render?
Render ranks #11,553 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.87 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,603 people with the surname Render. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,985), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.87 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.87 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Render.
Has Render become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Render went from 2,913 recorded bearers to 2,603. That is a decrease of 310 (-10.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,924 to #11,553.
What does the Census say about the background of Render?
Among Census respondents with the surname Render, the largest self-reported group is Black at 50.7%. The next largest groups are White (42.8%) and Two or More Races (4.0%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Render in the 2020 Census, accounting for 50.7% (1,320 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Render appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (50.7%), White (42.8%), Two or More Races (4.0%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Render (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Render mean?
An occupational surname referring to someone who renders fat from animals or plasters walls. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Render (0.87 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Render?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.