How Many People Are Named Rene?
An estimated 58,888 people in the United States have the first name Rene. It is used for both genders, with 69.9% male. The average bearer is 47 years old, and Rene peaked in popularity in 1962 with 1,648 births that year.
Below you will find a full statistical profile of Rene as a first name in the United States, including gender data, a year-by-year popularity timeline going back to 1880, a decade breakdown, state-by-state birth registrations, and, when available, a 2020 Census snapshot showing who had the name at that point in time. You can also check how many people share the full name Rene paired with any surname.
Estimated Living Americans
58,888
About 1 in 5,820 people in the U.S.
Rarity
Uncommon
Predicted Gender
Male
69.9% confidence
Average Age
47
years old
Peak Year
1962
1,648 births
Total Registered
72,568
since 1880
Gender Distribution for Rene
Rene is a genuinely unisex name, used for both males (69.9%) and females (30.1%). Out of 72,568 total births registered, 50,740 were male and 21,828 were female.
Rene as a male name
Ranked #990 in 2024
227 male births in 2024
Peak: 1970 (869 births)
Rene as a female name
Ranked #6,564 in 2024
18 female births in 2024
Peak: 1962 (916 births)
Rene in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 83,545 people with the first name Rene, which placed it at #632 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The estimated living count elsewhere on this page is different: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two figures are not expected to match exactly.
Read this section as a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The SSA charts elsewhere on this page are still the better way to see how the name rose, fell, or shifted across generations.
Gender in the 2020 Census
In the 2020 Census, Rene was recorded as predominantly male. Out of 83,545 people with this name in that snapshot, 77.9% were male and 22.1% were female. That is more heavily male than the long-run SSA birth pattern on this page, which sits at 69.9% male.
Census Count
83,545
people with this name
Census Rank
#632
among Census first names
Frequency Rate
27.66
per 100,000 people
Recorded Race and Hispanic Origin in the 2020 Census
In the 2020 Census, the first name Rene was most commonly recorded among people who identified as Hispanic (67.62%). The next largest recorded groups were White (23.66%) and Black (4.56%).
These percentages describe the people who had the first name Rene in the 2020 Census. They do not tell you the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.
2020 Census demographic breakdown
Each row shows a recorded Census category for people with the first name Rene.
| Group | Share | Count |
|---|---|---|
| Hispanic | 67.62% | 56,497 |
| White | 23.66% | 19,763 |
| Black | 4.56% | 3,809 |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 2.53% | 2,112 |
| Two or More Races | 1.26% | 1,051 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.37% | 313 |
Rene: Popularity Over Time
SSA records for Rene span from the 1880s to the 2020s, covering 15 decades of naming data. The most popular decade for this name was the 1960s, when 14,674 babies were registered. Rene has declined significantly from its peak in the 1960s. Recent registrations are a fraction of what they were at the name's height.
Rene by Decade
How has Rene tracked across different eras? The table below groups all SSA birth registrations into 10-year periods, with separate male and female counts. The colored bar shows each decade's share relative to the peak.
| Decade | Total | Male | Female | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 69 | 50 | 19 | |
| 1890s | 137 | 84 | 53 | |
| 1900s | 236 | 144 | 92 | |
| 1910s | 1,071 | 840 | 231 | |
| 1920s | 2,239 | 1,854 | 385 | |
| 1930s | 2,128 | 1,742 | 386 | |
| 1940s | 3,590 | 2,672 | 918 | |
| 1950s | 9,679 | 4,946 | 4,733 | |
| 1960s | 14,674 | 7,349 | 7,325 | |
| 1970s | 10,958 | 7,265 | 3,693 | |
| 1980s | 9,416 | 7,256 | 2,160 | |
| 1990s | 8,233 | 7,140 | 1,093 | |
| 2000s | 5,866 | 5,404 | 462 | |
| 2010s | 3,073 | 2,883 | 190 | |
| 2020s | 1,199 | 1,111 | 88 | |
Rene by State
Birth registrations for Rene span all 49 states and territories in the SSA database. The highest counts are in Texas, California, New York. The lowest are in Alaska, North Dakota, West Virginia. On average, about 1,291 Renes were registered per state.
Rene + Last Name Combinations
How many people share a full name with Rene as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Names Similar to Rene
Other first names starting with R with a similar number of bearers.
Rene: Questions and Answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Rene?
We estimate approximately 58,888 people named Rene are alive in the United States today. This is based on SSA birth records from 1880 to 2024, adjusted for mortality using CDC life tables. About 1 in 5,820 Americans share this first name.
Is Rene a common name?
Rene is classified as "Uncommon" and is more popular than 99.2% of all first names in the SSA database. A total of 72,568 births have been registered with this name since 1880.
When was Rene most popular?
Rene reached peak popularity in 1962, when 1,648 babies were given this name. The average age of a living person named Rene is approximately 47 years old, reflecting when the name was most commonly given.
How common was Rene in the 2020 Census?
The 2020 Census recorded 83,545 people with the first name Rene. That placed it at #632 in the published Census first-name tables, or 27.66 people per 100,000.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census number is a count of people with the name in 2020. The living estimate is a current model based on SSA birth records and survival rates, so it aims to estimate how many people with the name are alive now.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The popularity chart tracks birth registrations, not people currently alive. It shows how often Rene was given to babies from 1880 through 2024, which is why it is the best tool on the page for seeing long-run naming trends.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Rene?
In the 2020 Census snapshot, Rene was recorded as predominantly male. The published split was 77.9% male and 22.1% female.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Rene?
In the 2020 Census, the first name Rene was most commonly recorded among people who identified as Hispanic (67.62%). The next largest recorded groups were White (23.66%) and Black (4.56%). These percentages describe the people who had the name in the 2020 Census, not the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census published separate first-name tables for sex and for race and Hispanic origin. Those totals can differ slightly for the same name, so the page uses them as two related snapshots rather than treating them as perfectly interchangeable counts.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name tables only include names that met the Bureau's publication rules. That means some names on this site will have SSA history but no published Census demographic snapshot.
Is Rene a male name?
Rene is predominantly male. 69.9% of people with this name are male. See the gender breakdown above for full details.
Why can Rene have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because a name can build up a large population over many decades. Rene peaked in 1962, and the average living bearer is about 47 years old, so a name can still have millions of living bearers even after it stops feeling current for newborns.
How many Rene Smiths are there?
To find how many people share a specific full name, we combine first name and surname frequencies. Try: Rene Smith, Rene Johnson, Rene Williams. You can also search any combination on our homepage.
Where does this data come from?
Our estimates use Social Security Administration birth records (1880 to 2024), adjusted for survival using CDC 2023 life tables broken down by sex. The U.S. population figure (342,754,338) is from the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimate. Full methodology.
Search for a full name combination
How Many of Me