René (''

born again Born again, or to experience the new birth, is a phrase, particularly in evangelicalism, that refers to a "spiritual rebirth", or a regeneration of the human spirit. In contrast to one's physical birth, being "born again" is distinctly and sepa ...

'' or ''reborn'' in

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

) is a common first name in French-speaking, Spanish-speaking, and German-speaking countries. It derives from the Latin name

Renatus Renatus is a first name of Latin origin which means "born again" (natus = born). In Italian, Portuguese and Spanish it exists in masculine and feminine forms: Renato and Renata. In French they have been translated to René and Renée. Renata is ...

. René is the masculine form of the name (

Renée Renée (without the accent in non-French speaking countries) is a French/Latin feminine given name. Renée is the female form of René, with the extra –e making it feminine according to French grammar. The name Renée is the French form of t ...

being the feminine form). In some non-Francophone countries, however, there exists the habit of giving the name René (sometimes spelled without an accent) to girls as well as boys. In addition, both forms are used as

surname In some cultures, a surname, family name, or last name is the portion of one's personal name that indicates one's family, tribe or community. Practices vary by culture. The family name may be placed at either the start of a person's full name ...

s (family names). René as a first name given to boys in the United States reached its peaks in popularity in 1969 and 1983 when it ranked 256th. Since 1983 its popularity has steadily declined and it ranked 881st in 2016. René as a first name given to girls in the United States reached its peak in popularity in 1962 when it ranked 306th. The last year for which René was ranked in the top 1000 names given to girls in the United States was 1988.

Persons with the given name

* René, Duke of Anjou (1409–1480), titular king of Naples and Jerusalem *

René II, Duke of Lorraine René II (2 May 1451 – 10 December 1508) was Count of Vaudémont from 1470, Duke of Lorraine from 1473, and Duke of Bar from 1483 to 1508. He claimed the crown of the Kingdom of Naples and the County of Provence as the Duke of Calabria 1480& ...

(1451–1508), grandson of René of Anjou *

René I, Viscount of Rohan René I de Rohan, (1516–1552) 18th Viscount of Rohan, Viscount and Prince de Léon, and Marquis de Blain married Isabella of Navarre daughter of jure uxoris King John III of Navarre and Catherine of Navarre, Queen of Navarre. Life René I was ...

(1516–1552), warrior of the Italian War of 1551–1559 * René II, Viscount of Rohan (1550–1586), his huguenot son * René Angélil (1942–2016), Canadian music producer and agent *

Rene Aranda Rene Michelle Aranda, sometimes credited as Ren Aranda, (born December 6, 1990) is an American singer and actress, best known for ''Papa'' and ''Expelled''. She has won Best Actress (Silverstate Film Festival, 2018), Best Supporting Actress (LA ...

(born 1990), American actress *

René Auberjonois René Murat Auberjonois (; June 1, 1940 – December 8, 2019) was an American actor and director. He was best known for portraying Odo on '' Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'' (1993–1999). He first achieved fame as a stage actor, winning the Tony Aw ...

(1940–2019), American actor *

René Ballet René Ballet (1928 – 2 January 2017) was a French journalist, novelist and essayist. A communist, he was an international correspondent for '' L’Humanité''. He was the author of 14 novels and 35 essays, many of which were about Roger Vailland ...

(1928–2017), French journalist, novelist and essayist *

René Barents René Barents (born 31 December 1951) is a Dutch European Union law scholar. He has been a judge at the General Court (European Union), General Court since 19 September 2016. He previously served as a judge on the European Union Civil Service Trib ...

(born 1951), Dutch judge and legal scholar *

René Bernards René Bernards (born 4 January 1953) is a Dutch cancer researcher. He is professor of molecular carcinogenesis at Utrecht University and head of the section of molecular carcinogenesis at the Netherlands Cancer Institute-Antoni van Leeuwenhoekziek ...

(born 1953), Dutch oncologist * René Binder (born 1992), Austrian racing driver *Cardinal

René de Birague René de Birague (original name: Renato Birago; 2 February 1506 – 24 November 1583) was an Italian patrician who became a French cardinal and chancellor. Biography Born at Milan, he was the son of Giangiacomo Galeazzo Birago, ambassador o ...

(1505–1583) *

Rene Bitorajac Rene Bitorajac (; born 2 March 1972) is a Croatian actor. He has appeared in a number of Croatian and Bosnian films since the 1980s. Most notably, he starred in the 2001 Academy Award-winning Bosnian film ''No Man's Land''. He is also known for st ...

, Croatian actor *

Rene Capo Rene Capo (May 9, 1961 – July 6, 2009) was a judoka from the United States who competed in the 1988 Summer Olympics and the 1996 Summer Olympics. Capo immigrated to the United States from Cuba as a young boy. Though he ...

, Cuban-American judoka *

René Chamussy René Chamussy (15 December 1936 – 27 October 2016) was a French-Lebanese Jesuit priest and academic administrator. He was the author of several books about Lebanon. He served as the rector of the Saint Joseph University in Beirut, Lebanon, from ...

(1936–2016), French-Lebanese Jesuit priest and academic administrator * René Coty, former president of France * René Descartes, French philosopher * Rene Farrait (born 1967), Puerto Rican singer, member of boy band Menudo *

René Favaloro René Gerónimo Favaloro (July 12, 1923 – July 29, 2000) was an Argentine cardiac surgeon and educator best known for his pioneering work on coronary artery bypass surgery using the great saphenous vein. Early life Favaloro was born in 192 ...

, Argentine cardiac surgeon * René Fonck, French aviator and most successful pilot in World War I *

René Frégni René Frégni (born 1947) is a French novelist. Early life Frégni was born in 1947 in Marseille. Career Frégni owned a restaurant on the main square of Manosque, which he sold after his business associate was arrested for money laundering. He ...

(born 1947), French novelist *

René de Froulay de Tessé René de Froulay, Comte de Tessé (14 May 1648 – 30 March 1725) was a French soldier and diplomat during the reign of Louis XIV and the 1715-1723 Regency. Early life René de Froulay, Comte de Tessé was born at the family home of the Chat ...

(1648–1725), French marshal * Rene Gagnon, American World War II veteran, raised the American flag during the battle of Iwo Jima * René Goscinny (1926–1977), French comic book editor and writer * René Goupil (1608–1642), Canadian Catholic martyr and saint * René Guénon (1886–1951), French metaphysician and Sufi initiate *

René Janssen René A.J. Janssen (born Roermond NL, 1959) is a Dutch University Professor of the Moleculair Materials and Nanosystems group (M2N group) within the department of Chemical engineering and Chemistry at Eindhoven University of Technology. In 2013 Ja ...

(born 1959), Dutch nanotechnologist * Rene Kirby, American actor * René Kollo, German tenor *

René Lamps René Lamps (5 November 1915 - 8 May 2007) was a French politician. He began his career as a schoolteacher, and he served in the French Resistance during World War II. He served as a member of the National Assembly from 1945 to 1958, and from 19 ...

(1915–2007), French politician * René Lépine, Canadian businessman and real estate developer * René Lévesque, Canadian journalist and politician, premier of Quebec * René Magritte, Belgian surrealist painter * René Marqués, Puerto Rican short story writer and playwright *

René Mauriès René Mauriès (16 February 1921 – 23 May 1999Notice
on the catalog of the Rene Mederos Felix René Mederos Pazos (20 November 1933 – 24 September 1996) was a prominent Cuban poster artist and graphic designer. Mederos, a self-taught artist from Sagua la Grande, began work in a Havana printshop in 1944 and was appointed Chief D ...

, Cuban poster artist and graphic designer *

Rene Medvešek Rene Medvešek (born 21 June 1963) is a Croatian film and theatre actor and director. He was born in Velika Gorica. He has appeared in more than 10 films and several television series. To the international audience he is probably best known for ...

, Croatian actor *

René Mornex René Mornex (12 August 1927 – 11 April 2022) was a French doctor and academic. He is honorary dean of the Faculty of Medicine of University of Lyon and pioneer of endocrinology, more particularly of neuroendocrinology Neuroendocrinology is ...

(1927–2022), French doctor and academic * René Muñoz (1938–2000), Cuban actor and scriptwriter *

René Pape René Pape (born 4 September 1964) is a German operatic bass. Pape has received two Grammys, was named "Vocalist of the Year" by Musical America in 2002, "Artist of the Year" by the German opera critics in 2006, and won an ECHO award (the German ...

, German opera singer *

Rene Plasencia Rene "Coach P" Plasencia (born January 8, 1973) is an American Republican politician who currently serves as a member of the Florida House of Representatives, representing the 50th District (including southeast Orange County and the northern por ...

, (born 1973) Florida House of Representatives member * René Juan Pérez Joglar (born 1978), known professionally as Residente, is a Puerto Rican rapper, writer and filmmaker * Rene Ranger (born 1986), New Zealand rugby player * René Rast (born 1986), German racing driver * René Reyes, American baseball player *

René Robert René Paul Robert (December 31, 1948 – June 22, 2021) was a Canadian professional ice hockey winger who played 12 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL). He played for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Pittsburgh Penguins, Buffalo Sabres, and Col ...

, Canadian ice hockey player * René Prêtre, Swiss pediatric cardiovascular surgeon *

René Reille Baron René Charles Reille-Soult-Dalmatie (4 February 1835 – 21 November 1898) was a French soldier, industrialist and politician. He came from a wealthy military family with mining interests in the south of France. He served in the army until 18 ...

(1835-1898), French soldier, industrialist, politician *

René Rougeau René Anthony Rougeau (born March 25, 1986) is an American professional basketball player for Hermine Nantes Basket of the LNB Pro B. He played college basketball for the University of Nevada, Las Vegas where he starred in his four seasons with th ...

(born 1986), American basketball player for Maccabi Haifa of the

Israeli Basketball Premier League Ligat HaAl ( he, ליגת העל, lit., ''Supreme League or Premier League''), or the Israeli Basketball Premier League, is the top-tier level league of professional sports, professional competition in Israeli sports club, club basketball, making ...

* René Rozet (1858–1939), French sculptor * Rene Russo, American actress * René Simard, Canadian singer *

René Steinke René Steinke (born 16 November 1963 as René Dan Steinke in East Berlin, East Germany), is a German actor, best known in ''Alarm für Cobra 11 – Die Autobahnpolizei'' as ''Kriminalhauptkommissar'' Tom Kranich. He appeared in the role from 199 ...

, German actor *

René Thom René Frédéric Thom (; 2 September 1923 – 25 October 2002) was a French mathematician, who received the Fields Medal in 1958. He made his reputation as a topologist, moving on to aspects of what would be called singularity theory; he became w ...

, French mathematician *

René Toribio René Toribio (born 10 December 1912 in Lamentin, Guadeloupe; died 27 July 1990 in the same town) was a French politician and was a member of the French Senate representing Guadeloupe from 1959 to 1968. Biography Before WWII he was a teacher an ...

(1912–1990), Guadeloupean politician * René Vydarený, Slovakian Ice Hockey Player *

René Villa José René Villafuerte Flores (born 26 January 1997) known as René Villa, is a Costa Rican singer-songwriter and model. Biography René Villa was born January 26, 1997, in Nicoya. When a kid, Villa was heavily into Carlos Rivera, Luis Fonsi, ...

, Costa Rican singer The name was also given to the French Cafe owner and war hero René Artois in popular British TV series 'Allo 'Allo.

Persons with this surname

Denise René Denise René (born Denise Bleibtreu; June 1913 – 9 July 2012) was a French art gallerist specializing in kinetic art and op art. Life and work Denise René took as her guiding principle the idea that art must invent new paths in order to exist ...

(1919–2012), French art dealer *

France-Albert René France-Albert René (; 16 November 1934 – 27 February 2019) was a Seychellois lawyer, politician and statesman who served as the second President of Seychelles from 1977 to 2004. He also served as the country's 2nd Prime Minister from its in ...

(1935–2019), second President of Seychelles * Lisa Rene (1978–1994), American murder victim * Mélanie René (born 1990), Swiss singer *

Wendy Rene Mary Frierson, later Mary Cross (1947 – December 16, 2014), better known by her stage name of Wendy Rene, was an American soul music, soul singer and songwriter. She recorded for Stax Records in the mid 1960s. Biography Mary Frierson was born ...

(1947–2014), American soul singer and songwriter

Variants in different languages

*Renát Hungarian, Slovak *Renat

Catalan Catalan may refer to: Catalonia From, or related to Catalonia: * Catalan language, a Romance language * Catalans, an ethnic group formed by the people from, or with origins in, Northern or southern Catalonia Places * 13178 Catalan, asteroid #1 ...

Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Poles, people from Poland or of Polish descent * Polish chicken *Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin screenwr ...

*Renato Italian, Portuguese, Spanish *Renátus Slovak *Renatus Latin *René Czech,

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

, Slovak, Spanish, Dutch,

Danish Danish may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark People * A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark * Culture of Denmark * Danish people or Danes, people with a Danish ance ...

*Röné Hungarian *Ренат Russian

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rene French masculine given names