Renard

Renard is a term with several related meanings in French and European folklore. In modern French, renard denotes the fox, the carnivoran canid known for its cunning. The name is also the root of the medieval figure Reynard the Fox (Le Roman de Renart), a central character in a cycle of satirical fables that circulated across Europe from the 12th to 16th centuries. The Reynard tradition influenced later literature, art, and theatre and helped establish the fox as a stock character in European storytelling.

Renard is used as a surname and, less commonly, as a given name in French-speaking regions. It has produced numerous historical and contemporary individuals, and the name appears in place names and family heraldry in Francophone areas. As a toponym, Renard is found in several locations across France and Belgium, among other regions, reflecting local history and lineage.

In contemporary contexts, Renard may refer to organizations, fictional works, or other proper-noun usages that derive from the animal term or the family name. The surname is related to variants such as Reynard and Renart, which appear in other languages and traditions for the fox figure. Overall, Renard functions as a linguistic and cultural touchstone linking language, folklore, and identity around the image of the fox.