Reynard is an ancient French name derived from the Germanic elements 'ragin' meaning 'counsel' or 'advice', and 'hard' meaning 'strong'. It was popularized in medieval literature through the character of Reynard the Fox, a clever trickster in the beast epic 'Reynard the Fox'. The name has also been used by several notable historical figures, such as Reynard I, Duke of Lorraine. Today, Reynard remains an uncommon yet intriguing choice for a first name, carrying with it a rich history and cultural significance.
Here are some observations about the statistics for the name Reynard:
- The most popular years for the name were 1983 with 18 births and 1964 with 18 births.
- There was a significant increase in popularity between the late 1950s and early 1960s, peaking in 1964.
- The number of births fluctuates quite a bit from year to year, with some years having no recorded births for Reynard.
- After a peak in the mid-1980s, the popularity of the name has generally declined, although there was a small resurgence around 2003.
- The most recent data (2017) shows that the name Reynard is still being used but not as frequently as it once was.
- Over the entire period from 1915 to 2017, a total of 710 births were recorded for the name Reynard.