The phrase "a certain renown" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe someone or something that has a specific level of fame or recognition, often in a somewhat vague or indirect manner.
Example: "The artist achieved a certain renown for her unique style, attracting attention from critics and collectors alike."
Alternatives: "a degree of fame" or "some level of recognition."
Along the way Timaeus has gained a certain renown.
The summer festival the Festival of Carthage, held in July—has achieved a certain renown.
Acqua Pazza has gained a certain renown for an unusual pasta dish, tagliolini al caffè.
Common friends who had known him at Iowa told me that he had enjoyed a certain renown there for his speed on the keys, and that other young writers, approaching deadlines, often hired him to type up their stories for workshop, and even entire theses.
Nablus and its culture enjoy a certain renown throughout the Palestinian Territories and the Arab world with significant and unique contributions to Palestinian culture, cuisine and costume.
I even remember hearing a verse from "My Home Town" as part of my bath-time routine during my preschool years ("The guy that taught us math/ Who never took a bath/ Acquired a certain measure of renown...."....
It had been enjoying a certain kind of Internet renown for a couple of months, in part because The Huffington Post had included it in one of its regular roundups, "7 Sites You Should Be Wasting Time On Right Now," a procrastinator's guide to blogs like "Is Ryan Gosling Cuter Than a Puppy?" In such a culture, Ms. Koenig said, you wonder what it means to be successful.
Well, technically they are by us, but us now includes a certain bonhomme of particular renown.
A certain progression of increasing renown through the generations can, however, been seen with Pisan sculptors Nicola Pisano (1239-84?) and his son Giovanni (1258-1325?).
A Session is generally based on three or four main courses given by specialists of international renown, plus a certain number of seminars, and is held in an attractive rural location in Italy.
The accuracy of an expert's predictions actually has an inverse relationship to his or her self-confidence, renown, and, beyond a certain point, depth of knowledge.
