Recorded in over twenty known spelling forms ranging from Ranacre, Runangle and Reinacre, to Runnacles, Ranigar, Renacre and possibly the short form of Renac, although this may originate from the German Renke or Reinach, this is an English surname from Lancashire. It is residential for a person from the village of Renacres near Liverpool, or is topographical name for someone who lived by a field where rye was grown. The derivation is from the Olde English pre 7th Century "ryge" meaning rye, with "aecer", cultivated land. Early examples of the surname recordings include: Richard de Reinacre, in the Assize Court Rolls of Lancashire for the year 1261, and Richard de Rynacres in the 1332 Subsidy Rolls, also of Lancashire. Later examples of the name recording taken from surviving church registers include: William Rencles of Leicester in the Friary Rolls of 1500, whilst on August 10th 1746, Joshua Runacres and Ann Foster were married at St. George's chapel, Mayfair, London. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Alan de Ruynacres, which was dated 1246, witness, in the "Assize Court Rolls of Lancashire", during the reign of King Henry 111, known as "The Frenchman", 1216 - 1272. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

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