2000
#45,651
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 441
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.16
Very Rare Last name
Langella
Italian surname meaning either "little tongue" or a reference to the Langellian ethnic group from Calabria.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 516 Americans carry the last name Langella. That puts it at #50,251 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.15 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 664,253 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Langella 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.
Bearers in the US
516
1 in 664,253
Census rank
#50,251
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
450
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 450 bearers of the surname Langella in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.15 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 50251st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Langella, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Langella
The surname Langella has its origins in Italy, specifically tracing back to the southern region of Campania. It is believed to have emerged during the Middle Ages, potentially as early as the 11th or 12th century.
The name Langella is thought to be derived from the Italian word "langa," which refers to a long and narrow strip of land, often between hills or mountains. This suggests that the name may have initially been used to identify individuals who lived or worked on such elongated parcels of land.
One of the earliest known references to the Langella surname can be found in historical records from the city of Naples, dating back to the 14th century. These records document individuals bearing the name, indicating its presence in the area during that time period.
While there are no known direct mentions of the Langella name in renowned historical documents like the Domesday Book, it is possible that variations or similar spellings may have existed in other regional records from that era.
Among the notable individuals who have borne the Langella surname, one can cite the Italian painter and sculptor Sebastiano Langella (1580-1647), renowned for his contributions to the Baroque art movement in Naples.
Another prominent figure was Giuseppe Langella (1762-1836), an Italian jurist and politician who served as a member of the Neapolitan Parliament during the Napoleonic era.
In the 19th century, Antonio Langella (1852-1922) was a respected Italian mathematician and educator, known for his work in the field of algebraic geometry.
Moving into the 20th century, Francesco Langella (1924-2005) was an Italian author and poet, recognized for his lyrical works that explored themes of love, nature, and the human condition.
More recently, the Italian-American actor Frank Langella (born 1938) has gained international recognition for his performances on stage and screen, including notable roles in films like "Frost/Nixon" and "Dracula."
While the Langella surname has its roots in Italy, it has since spread to various parts of the world, carried by generations of individuals with ancestral ties to the Campania region and its surrounding areas.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Langella
Among Census respondents with the surname Langella, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Langella 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 Langella surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.2% · 424
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 12
- Two or more races1.8% · 8
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 2
- Black or African American0.2% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Langella
Langella 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
#43,438
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 497
+56 bearers (+12.7%)
Per 100,000 0.17
Rank movement Up 2,213 places
2020
#50,251
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 450
-47 bearers (-9.5%)
Per 100,000 0.15
Rank movement Down 6,813 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #45,651 | 441 | 0.16 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #43,438 | 497 | 0.17 | +56 bearers (+12.7%) | Up 2,213 places |
| 2020 | #50,251 | 450 | 0.15 | -47 bearers (-9.5%) | Down 6,813 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 Langella 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 | #43,438 | #50,251 | -15.7% |
| Count | 497 | 450 | -9.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.17 | 0.15 | -11.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Langella bearers went from 497 to 450 (-9.5% change). The surname moved down 6,813 positions in the national ranking, going from #43,438 to #50,251.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Langella
FAQ
Langella surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Langella?
Name Census estimates that about 516 living Americans carry the surname Langella. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 664,253 residents.
How common is Langella?
Langella ranks #50,251 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.15 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 450 people with the surname Langella. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (516), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.15 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.15 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Langella.
Has Langella become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Langella went from 497 recorded bearers to 450. That is a decrease of 47 (-9.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #43,438 to #50,251.
What does the Census say about the background of Langella?
Among Census respondents with the surname Langella, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Langella in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.2% (424 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Langella appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.2%), Hispanic (2.7%), Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Langella (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 Langella mean?
Italian surname meaning either "little tongue" or a reference to the Langellian ethnic group from Calabria. 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 Langella (0.15 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 Americans have the surname Langella?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.