2000
#134,037
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Langsner
A German surname derived from an occupational name for a spearmaker or lancer.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 138 Americans carry the last name Langsner. That puts it at #142,049 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,483,727 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Langsner 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
138
1 in 2,483,727
Census rank
#142,049
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
120
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 120 bearers of the surname Langsner in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142049th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Langsner, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Langsner
The surname LANGSNER is of German origin, originating in the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the German words "lang" meaning "long" and "Schnur" meaning "cord" or "string". This suggests that the surname may have initially referred to an occupation or trade involving long cords or strings, such as a rope maker or a weaver.
The earliest recorded instances of the LANGSNER surname can be traced back to the regions of Bavaria and Saxony in Germany. Historical records from the 1500s mention individuals with variations of the spelling, such as "Langsner", "Langsner", and "Langsner".
One of the earliest known references to the LANGSNER name appears in a 1587 document from the town of Augsburg, which mentions a "Hans Langsner". Another notable early mention is in a 1612 record from Leipzig, which lists a "Johann Langsner" as a member of the local guild of weavers.
In the 17th century, the LANGSNER surname began to spread beyond Germany, as individuals bearing the name migrated to other parts of Europe and eventually to the Americas. Some prominent figures with this surname include:
1. Wilhelm Langsner (1832-1907), a German-American painter and lithographer known for his landscapes and portraits of Native Americans.
2. Elise Langsner (1874-1953), a German novelist and short story writer who explored themes of feminism and social justice.
3. Karl Langsner (1892-1976), an Austrian-American chemist and inventor who developed several important processes for manufacturing synthetic fibers.
4. Otto Langsner (1901-1980), a German-born American engineer and industrialist who made significant contributions to the development of early computers and telecommunications technologies.
5. Gertrude Langsner (1920-2002), an American screenwriter and playwright whose works often explored issues of identity and social change.
While the LANGSNER surname is not among the most common surnames worldwide, it has left a notable mark in various fields, from the arts and literature to science and technology, reflecting the diverse paths taken by those who have borne this name throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Langsner
Among Census respondents with the surname Langsner, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Langsner 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 Langsner surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.0% · 114
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 3
- Two or more races2.5% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Langsner
Langsner 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
#139,228
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
+4 bearers (+3.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,191 places
2020
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,821 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,037 | 116 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #139,228 | 120 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.4%) | Down 5,191 places |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 2,821 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 Langsner 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 | #139,228 | #142,049 | -2.0% |
| Count | 120 | 120 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Langsner bearers went from 120 to 120 (+0.0% change). The surname moved down 2,821 positions in the national ranking, going from #139,228 to #142,049.
FAQ
Langsner surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Langsner?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Langsner. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Langsner?
Langsner ranks #142,049 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 120 people with the surname Langsner. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (138), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Langsner.
Has Langsner become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Langsner went from 120 recorded bearers to 120. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #139,228 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Langsner?
Among Census respondents with the surname Langsner, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) and Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Langsner in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.0% (114 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Langsner appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.0%), Hispanic (2.5%), Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Langsner (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 Langsner mean?
A German surname derived from an occupational name for a spearmaker or lancer. 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 Langsner (0.04 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 Langsner?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.