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Rennie

Boy / Girl name · 32 babies recorded · 1974–2025

Rennie: 32 babies born in Scotland since 1974, given to both boys and girls, peaking at 5 births in 2022.

Rennie is a Scottish surname turned first name, most often a diminutive of the place name Renfrew, which itself comes from the Gaelic *rinn* meaning "point" and *frìth* meaning "current" or "wood." Historically it was a nickname for someone from Renfrewshire, but today it works as a standalone given name for boys and girls. The name is borne by John Rennie, the celebrated Scottish civil engineer who designed London's Waterloo Bridge, and by Michael Rennie, the actor famous for his role as Klaatu in *The Day the Earth Stood Still*. As a place connection, Renfrew itself is a town in the west of Scotland, sharing that same Gaelic root. Rennie also appears as a variant of the French Renée, giving it a separate feminine lineage, though the Scottish form remains the dominant one in the UK.