2000
#3,806
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,560
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.17
Rare Last name
Landon
A surname of English origin, derived from a place name meaning "long hill."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 9,778 Americans carry the last name Landon. That puts it at #4,044 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.85 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 35,054 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Landon surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Landon with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
9.8K
1 in 35,054
Census rank
#4,044
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
8.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 8,527 bearers of the surname Landon in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.85 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4044th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Landon, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.5%. The next largest groups are Black (5.9%) and Hispanic (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Landon
The surname Landon has its origins in England, tracing back to the early medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words "land" and "dun," meaning "long hill" or "long ridge." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a prominent geographical feature of this type.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Langedune." This document, commissioned by William the Conqueror, was a comprehensive survey of landholdings across England and provides valuable insights into the names and locations of individuals at that time.
In the 12th century, the name was recorded as "Langedun" in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire. These rolls were administrative records maintained by the English Exchequer, detailing financial transactions and accounting for various counties.
The name evolved over time, with various spellings emerging, such as "Langdoun" and "Landoun," before eventually settling on the modern spelling of "Landon." These variations reflect the fluidity of name spellings during the Middle Ages, when standardization was not yet common practice.
One notable bearer of the Landon surname was Sir John Landon (c. 1420-1489), a prominent English politician and landowner during the Wars of the Roses. He served as a Member of Parliament and held significant influence in Gloucestershire.
Another notable figure was John Landon (c. 1510-1576), an English Protestant theologian and author. He was a noted reformer and played a significant role in the development of the Church of England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
In the 17th century, Sir Lancelot Landon (c. 1620-1680) was a prominent English landowner and politician. He served as a Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire and was known for his support of the Royalist cause during the English Civil War.
Reverend Samuel Landon (1687-1756) was an influential English clergyman and author. He served as the rector of several parishes in Gloucestershire and wrote extensively on theological and moral topics.
In the 18th century, Charles Landon (1760-1839) was a renowned English engraver and artist. His intricate engravings and illustrations were highly regarded during his lifetime, and he contributed significantly to the development of book illustration in England.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Landon
Among Census respondents with the surname Landon, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.5%. The next largest groups are Black (5.9%) and Hispanic (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Landon bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Landon surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.5% · 7,207
- Black or African American5.9% · 500
- Hispanic or Latino4.0% · 338
- Two or more races3.9% · 329
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.4% · 118
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 35
Timeline
Historical Census data for Landon
Landon appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#3,844
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,211
+651 bearers (+7.6%)
Per 100,000 3.12
Rank movement Down 38 places
2020
#4,044
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,527
-684 bearers (-7.4%)
Per 100,000 2.85
Rank movement Down 200 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,806 | 8,560 | 3.17 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,844 | 9,211 | 3.12 | +651 bearers (+7.6%) | Down 38 places |
| 2020 | #4,044 | 8,527 | 2.85 | -684 bearers (-7.4%) | Down 200 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Landon surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #3,844 | #4,044 | -5.2% |
| Count | 9,211 | 8,527 | -7.4% |
| Per 100K | 3.12 | 2.85 | -8.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Landon bearers went from 9,211 to 8,527 (-7.4% change). The surname moved down 200 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,844 to #4,044.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Landon
FAQ
Landon surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Landon?
Name Census estimates that about 9,778 living Americans carry the surname Landon. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 35,054 residents.
How common is Landon?
Landon ranks #4,044 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.85 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 8,527 people with the surname Landon. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (9,778), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.85 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.85 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Landon.
Has Landon become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Landon went from 9,211 recorded bearers to 8,527. That is a decrease of 684 (-7.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,844 to #4,044.
What does the Census say about the background of Landon?
Among Census respondents with the surname Landon, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.5%. The next largest groups are Black (5.9%) and Hispanic (4.0%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Landon in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.5% (7,207 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Landon appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.5%), Black (5.9%), Hispanic (4.0%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Landon (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Landon mean?
A surname of English origin, derived from a place name meaning "long hill." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Landon (2.85 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Landon?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.