2000
#1,763
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 18,650
First available Census row
Per 100,000 6.91
Uncommon Last name
Langford
An English locational surname derived from places meaning "long ford" or "land near a ford."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 21,134 Americans carry the last name Langford. That puts it at #1,913 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 6.17 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 16,218 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Langford 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 Langford with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
21K
1 in 16,218
Census rank
#1,913
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
6.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
18K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 18,430 bearers of the surname Langford in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 6.17 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1913th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Langford, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.1%. The next largest groups are Black (16.0%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Langford
The surname Langford has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is a locational name derived from the Old English words "lang" meaning long and "ford" meaning a shallow place where a river can be crossed. This suggests that the name likely originated from a settlement near a long ford or crossing point over a river.
Langford is found in various counties across England, including Bedfordshire, Oxfordshire, and Somerset, indicating that the name arose independently in different locations. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Langeford" in reference to a place in Wiltshire.
In the 13th century, a notable bearer of the name was Walter de Langford, who served as Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield from 1292 to 1321. Another early record is that of Ralph de Langford, who held lands in Somerset in the late 13th century.
During the 14th century, the name appears in various forms such as Langeford, Langforde, and Longford. A prominent figure from this time was Sir John Langford (c. 1330-1404), a knight and supporter of Richard II who fought in the Hundred Years' War.
In the 15th century, a notable bearer was Sir Ralph Langford (c. 1430-1495), who served as a Member of Parliament and played a role in the Wars of the Roses. He was granted lands in Wiltshire by Edward IV.
The 16th century saw the emergence of John Langford (c. 1510-1578), an English Protestant reformer and Church of England clergyman who served as Bishop of Norwich and later as Bishop of Ely.
As the name spread across England, various place names associated with Langford emerged, such as Langford in Bedfordshire, Langford Budville in Somerset, and Langford Hill in Somerset. These place names further solidified the connection between the surname and its geographic origins.
Throughout its history, the surname Langford has been borne by notable individuals in various fields, including politics, religion, and military service. While the spelling has evolved over time, the name's roots remain firmly grounded in the English landscape, reflecting the importance of geographic features in the development of surnames.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Langford
Among Census respondents with the surname Langford, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.1%. The next largest groups are Black (16.0%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Langford 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 Langford surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White75.1% · 13,832
- Black or African American16.0% · 2,953
- Two or more races4.4% · 820
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 644
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 115
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 66
Timeline
Historical Census data for Langford
Langford 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
#1,870
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 19,208
+558 bearers (+3.0%)
Per 100,000 6.51
Rank movement Down 107 places
2020
#1,913
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 18,430
-778 bearers (-4.1%)
Per 100,000 6.17
Rank movement Down 43 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,763 | 18,650 | 6.91 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,870 | 19,208 | 6.51 | +558 bearers (+3.0%) | Down 107 places |
| 2020 | #1,913 | 18,430 | 6.17 | -778 bearers (-4.1%) | Down 43 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 Langford 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 | #1,870 | #1,913 | -2.3% |
| Count | 19,208 | 18,430 | -4.1% |
| Per 100K | 6.51 | 6.17 | -5.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Langford bearers went from 19,208 to 18,430 (-4.1% change). The surname moved down 43 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,870 to #1,913.
FAQ
Langford surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Langford?
Name Census estimates that about 21,134 living Americans carry the surname Langford. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 16,218 residents.
How common is Langford?
Langford ranks #1,913 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 6.17 per 100,000 residents, which is about 6 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 18,430 people with the surname Langford. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (21,134), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 6.17 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 6.17 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 6 of them to have the surname Langford.
Has Langford become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Langford went from 19,208 recorded bearers to 18,430. That is a decrease of 778 (-4.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,870 to #1,913.
What does the Census say about the background of Langford?
Among Census respondents with the surname Langford, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.1%. The next largest groups are Black (16.0%) and Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Langford in the 2020 Census, accounting for 75.1% (13,832 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Langford appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (75.1%), Black (16.0%), Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Langford (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 Langford mean?
An English locational surname derived from places meaning "long ford" or "land near a ford." 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 Langford (6.17 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 have the last name Langford?
You can see how many people are called Langford on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.