c. 1300, from Anglo-French renoun, Old French renon "renown, fame, reputation," from renomer "make famous," from re- "repeatedly" (see re-) + nomer "to name," from Latin nominare "to name" (see nominate). The Middle English verb reknouen "make known, acknowledge" has been assimilated to the noun via renowned. In old German university slang, a reknowner (German renommist) was "a boaster, a swaggerer."