Find out how popular the last name Laing is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Laing.

Laing, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Laing surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Laing in America

Laing is the 5383rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Laing surname appeared 6,465 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Laing.

We can also compare 2010 data for Laing to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Laing

The surname Laing originated in Scotland, emerging in the late 12th century. It is derived from the Old Norse word "lang," meaning "long" or "tall." The surname was likely given as a descriptive name to someone of notable height or stature.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Laing name is found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which listed those who swore fealty to King Edward I of England. The rolls mention Johannes de Lange, a resident of Berwickshire.

The Laing name appears in various historical records throughout the centuries, including the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland in the 14th century, where it is spelled "Layng" and "Laynge."

In the 16th century, the Laing family held lands in Fife and Angus, and the name is associated with several notable individuals from that period. One of them was David Laing (1793-1878), a renowned Scottish antiquarian and librarian who made significant contributions to the preservation of Scotland's literary heritage.

Another notable bearer of the Laing surname was Samuel Laing (1780-1868), a British traveler and author who wrote extensively about his journeys in Norway and Sweden. His works provided valuable insights into the culture and history of those regions.

The Laing name is also associated with Malcolm Laing (1762-1818), a Scottish historian and author who wrote extensively on the history of Scotland, including a critical examination of the life and reign of Mary, Queen of Scots.

In the 19th century, the Laing family had a presence in England as well. One of the most prominent figures was Samuel Laing (1812-1897), a British politician and railway entrepreneur who served as the Chairman of the London, Brighton, and South Coast Railway.

The Laing surname has also been carried by several notable individuals in more recent times, such as R.D. Laing (1927-1989), a influential Scottish psychiatrist and author, and Norman Laing (1936-2019), a British artist and sculptor known for his large-scale public artworks.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Laing

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Laing.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Laing was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Laing has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Laing was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Laing, please contact us.

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