Renwick
Masculine · “a farmstead”
Renwick is an old northern English and Scottish surname used as a first name, two syllables with a firm close. It belongs to the architect who gave Washington its red castle and New York its great cathedral.
How old is the name Renwick?
Renwick first appears in US birth records in 1917 — 108 years ago. The typical Renwick alive today was born around 1966, making them about 59 years old. About 500 people named Renwick are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Renwick most popular?
Renwick peaked in 1959, reaching #1522 nationally. See the whole 1959 chart.
Where it comes from
From Renwick (place) to Renwick
The story of Renwick
James Renwick Jr., largely self-taught as an architect, won the commission for the Smithsonian Institution's first building, the red sandstone castle on the National Mall, and went on to design St. Patrick's Cathedral on Fifth Avenue; a Washington gallery still bears his name. The surname came from a village in the north of England. As a first name, Renwick carries that surname and its architect's echo, and nothing more is recorded about its use.
Meaningscholars disagree
a farmstead, from a place-name
Renwick is a place-name in Cumbria ending in wīc, a farm or settlement; the first part is usually read as a personal name, perhaps meaning raven. As a first name it carries the surname.
How the name formed
- Renwickplace
- Renwick
Pronouncing Renwick
REN-ik
Two syllables, stressed on the first; the w is often silent.
Nicknames for Renwick
Limited
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1917
- Most boys named
- 195927 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #1522reached in 1959
- Change vs 2017
- 0.0%5 in 2021, from 5
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Renwicks among us
people named Renwick are estimated to be alive in the US today
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
Questions parents actually ask
Fashion outlook
Renwick sits outside the current charts, and that is its own kind of answer: naming cycles can only date the names they carried up. A name this rare has no decade stamped on it — it cannot go out of fashion, because it was never in.
Based on 146 years of naming cycles. How we read them
The trade-off
- It sounds distinguished and traditional.
- Ren is a ready short form.
- It connects to a notable American architect.
- People will not know whether to sound the w.
- It will be taken for a surname first.
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Renwick
Masculine
Frequently asked
- How many Renwicks are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 500 people named Renwick are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Renwick in 2025?
- Renwick is rarely given in the US today — it does not rank in the top 2000 boy names.
- Will my child share the name Renwick with classmates?
- Renwick will almost certainly be the only one in school.
More R names
The most-given names starting with R, all years combined.
Robert#92 · Richard#234 · Ronald#637 · Ryan#99 · Raymond#394 · Roger#832 · Ralph#1046 · Roy#525
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Renwick? See the current top 100.
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US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
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