Ren Family History

Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 任, a term for women's rank of peerage in ancient China. It is said that the surname can be traced back to one of the 25 sons of the legendary Huang Di, the ‘Yellow Emperor’ (c. 27th century BC).

Alternatively, it is derived from Ren (任), the name of an ancient state located in Renxian in Hebei province, granted to Yu Yang, said to be a son or grandson of Huang Di. His descendants adopted the name of the state as their surname.

Another origin of the surname is from Ren (任), the name of a state located in Shandong province during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC).

English: variant of Renn. It is an altered form of the English name Wren, as well as an altered form of the German name Renn.

Swedish: the surname is a soldier's name derived from ren, meaning ‘reindeer’. It may also have Flemish origins, specifically from De Ren, as seen in the name Deren.