Ren
A short surname that most likely has multiple independent origins, especially as a Chinese family name and as a name formed from older European roots.
The #6,470 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 58,842 Americans shares it.
Etymology
As a surname, Ren can arise from more than one source. In Chinese, Ren is a longstanding family name represented by the character 任 in many cases, with its own separate history and meanings. In European records, similar forms may also reflect shortened or altered names based on older elements meaning things like "counsel" or "pure," but the historical excerpts you provided do not establish a single clear English origin for Ren itself.
History
The historical material supplied mostly points to nearby surnames and related forms rather than a direct explanation of Ren. The excerpt from Harrison notes forms such as Rennie and Renshaw, while Bardsley and Lower include scattered references to names beginning with Ren-, but none firmly define Ren as an established English surname. In modern use, Ren is best understood as a short surname with multiple possible backgrounds, especially in Chinese and in spellings influenced by European naming patterns.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Because it is so short, Ren can be easy to misclassify from records alone; in genealogy it is often important to check the given name, ethnicity, and original-language spelling before assuming a single origin.
From the historical record
“RENDALL\ i for Randall, Randell, Randle REN DEL I (q.v.), through the pron. Ran-. RPMnpF*"! ('^^'■e'y) 2 Bel. to Rendall, Ork- RENDLE jjgy^ form. 5e««aJa/ [first element doubtful : cp. O.N. renna, a run, course ; or perh. Renna is the genit. of a name like Renni or Rein{n)i ; and + O.N. dal-r,”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)