2000
#6,866
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,513
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.67
Rare Last name
Langan
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó Longáin," meaning "descendant of Longán," a personal name meaning "long one."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,212 Americans carry the last name Langan. That puts it at #7,099 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.52 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 65,763 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Langan 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 Langan with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.2K
1 in 65,763
Census rank
#7,099
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,545 bearers of the surname Langan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.52 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7099th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Langan, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Langan
The surname Langan is of Irish origin and is believed to have originated in County Leitrim, Ireland. It is derived from the Gaelic word 'Longán,' which means 'a little ship or vessel.' This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who worked on or owned a small boat.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Langan can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. The annals mention a Maelsechlainn O'Langan, who was the Chief of Muintir Eoluis in County Leitrim, in the year 1171.
In the 16th century, the Langan family was prominent in County Leitrim and owned lands in the barony of Mohill. The Irish Fiants, which are records of official documents from the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, mention several members of the Langan family, including Fergus Langan, who received a pardon in 1592.
During the 17th century, the Langan name was also found in County Sligo, Ireland. One notable figure from this time was Edmond Langan, a Catholic priest who was executed for his faith in 1649 during the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland.
In the 18th century, the Langan family continued to be influential in County Leitrim. One notable member was Patrick Langan, who was a member of the Catholic Committee in the 1760s, which advocated for the rights of Irish Catholics.
The 19th century saw several Langan individuals make their mark in various fields. John Langan (1799-1869) was an Irish Catholic priest and writer who published works on theology and philosophy. Joseph Langan (1801-1879) was an Irish-American businessman and politician who served as the Mayor of Baltimore, Maryland, from 1867 to 1869.
Other notable individuals with the surname Langan include Mary Langan (1860-1940), an Irish-American labor activist and organizer in the garment industry, and Michael Langan (1890-1972), an Irish-American architect who designed several notable buildings in New York City.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Langan
Among Census respondents with the surname Langan, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Langan 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 Langan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.5% · 4,111
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 166
- Two or more races3.5% · 157
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 48
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 39
- Black or African American0.5% · 24
Timeline
Historical Census data for Langan
Langan 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
#6,769
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,982
+469 bearers (+10.4%)
Per 100,000 1.69
Rank movement Up 97 places
2020
#7,099
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,545
-437 bearers (-8.8%)
Per 100,000 1.52
Rank movement Down 330 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,866 | 4,513 | 1.67 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,769 | 4,982 | 1.69 | +469 bearers (+10.4%) | Up 97 places |
| 2020 | #7,099 | 4,545 | 1.52 | -437 bearers (-8.8%) | Down 330 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 Langan 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 | #6,769 | #7,099 | -4.9% |
| Count | 4,982 | 4,545 | -8.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.69 | 1.52 | -10.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Langan bearers went from 4,982 to 4,545 (-8.8% change). The surname moved down 330 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,769 to #7,099.
FAQ
Langan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Langan?
Name Census estimates that about 5,212 living Americans carry the surname Langan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 65,763 residents.
How common is Langan?
Langan ranks #7,099 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.52 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,545 people with the surname Langan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,212), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.52 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.52 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Langan.
Has Langan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Langan went from 4,982 recorded bearers to 4,545. That is a decrease of 437 (-8.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,769 to #7,099.
What does the Census say about the background of Langan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Langan, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Langan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.5% (4,111 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Langan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.5%), Hispanic (3.7%), Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Langan (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 Langan mean?
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó Longáin," meaning "descendant of Longán," a personal name meaning "long one." 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 Langan (1.52 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 are called Langan?
If you just want to know how many people are called Langan, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.