Find out how popular the last name Langston is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Langston.

Langston, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Langston surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Langston in America

Langston is the 1816th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Langston surname appeared 19,742 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 7 people would have the surname Langston.

We can also compare 2010 data for Langston to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Langston

The surname Langston has its origins in England, where it first emerged in the Middle Ages. It is a locational name, derived from the place name "Langton" or "Langstone," both of which refer to a "long town" or "long stone."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Langston can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is spelled "Langestun." This suggests that the name had already been established in various parts of England by the late 11th century.

During the medieval period, the name Langston was prevalent in various regions of England, including Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Dorset. It is believed that the different spellings of the name, such as Langton, Langstone, and Langston, arose from the various dialects and pronunciations used in these different areas.

In the 13th century, a notable figure bearing the name Langston was Sir John de Langston, a prominent knight and landowner in Lincolnshire. Records from that time indicate that he held significant estates and played a role in local governance.

Another historical figure with the surname Langston was Robert Langston, a wealthy merchant and alderman in the City of London during the 15th century. He was known for his philanthropic efforts and contributed to the construction of several churches and charitable institutions in the city.

During the 16th century, the name Langston gained prominence in the literary world with the poet and playwright Thomas Langston (1548-1612). He was a contemporary of Shakespeare and is best known for his works "The Abridgement of the Notable Worke of Polidore Vergil" and "An Introduction to the Studye of the Englysh Poetes."

In the 18th century, John Langston (1719-1768) was a notable figure in the field of law. He served as a judge in the Court of King's Bench and was highly respected for his legal acumen and integrity.

Another prominent individual with the surname Langston was John Mercer Langston (1829-1897), an American abolitionist, educator, and political activist. He played a significant role in the fight against slavery and was appointed as the first president of Virginia Normal and Collegiate Institute (now Virginia State University) in 1886.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Langston

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Langston.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Langston was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Langston has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Langston was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Langston, please contact us.

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