2000
#1,731
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 18,979
First available Census row
Per 100,000 7.04
Uncommon Last name
Langston
A habitational surname derived from various places in England meaning "long stone" or "tall rock" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 21,654 Americans carry the last name Langston. That puts it at #1,865 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 6.32 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 15,829 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Langston 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 Langston with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
22K
1 in 15,829
Census rank
#1,865
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
6.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
19K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 18,883 bearers of the surname Langston in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 6.32 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1865th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Langston, the largest self-reported group is White at 68.3%. The next largest groups are Black (22.3%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Langston
Among Census respondents with the surname Langston, the largest self-reported group is White at 68.3%. The next largest groups are Black (22.3%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Langston 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 Langston surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White68.3% · 12,900
- Black or African American22.3% · 4,211
- Two or more races4.6% · 863
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 672
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 136
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 101
Timeline
Historical Census data for Langston
Langston 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
#1,816
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 19,742
+763 bearers (+4.0%)
Per 100,000 6.69
Rank movement Down 85 places
2020
#1,865
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 18,883
-859 bearers (-4.4%)
Per 100,000 6.32
Rank movement Down 49 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,731 | 18,979 | 7.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,816 | 19,742 | 6.69 | +763 bearers (+4.0%) | Down 85 places |
| 2020 | #1,865 | 18,883 | 6.32 | -859 bearers (-4.4%) | Down 49 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 Langston 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 | #1,816 | #1,865 | -2.7% |
| Count | 19,742 | 18,883 | -4.4% |
| Per 100K | 6.69 | 6.32 | -5.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Langston bearers went from 19,742 to 18,883 (-4.4% change). The surname moved down 49 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,816 to #1,865.
FAQ
Langston surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Langston?
Name Census estimates that about 21,654 living Americans carry the surname Langston. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 15,829 residents.
How common is Langston?
Langston ranks #1,865 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 6.32 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 18,883 people with the surname Langston. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (21,654), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 6.32 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 6.32 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 Langston.
Has Langston become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Langston went from 19,742 recorded bearers to 18,883. That is a decrease of 859 (-4.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,816 to #1,865.
What does the Census say about the background of Langston?
Among Census respondents with the surname Langston, the largest self-reported group is White at 68.3%. The next largest groups are Black (22.3%) and Two or More Races (4.6%). 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 Langston in the 2020 Census, accounting for 68.3% (12,900 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Langston appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (68.3%), Black (22.3%), Two or More Races (4.6%). 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 Langston (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 Langston mean?
A habitational surname derived from various places in England meaning "long stone" or "tall rock" in Old English. 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 Langston (6.32 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 surname Langston?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.