2000
#124,872
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 127
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Lelong
A surname originating in France referring to someone tall or elongated in stature.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 115 Americans carry the last name Lelong. That puts it at #155,682 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,980,473 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lelong 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
115
1 in 2,980,473
Census rank
#155,682
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
100
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 100 bearers of the surname Lelong in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155682nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lelong, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lelong
The surname LELONG has its origins in France, dating back to the early 12th century. It is derived from the Old French words "le" meaning "the" and "long" meaning "tall" or "lengthy". The name was likely originally a descriptive nickname given to someone of tall stature.
LELONG first appeared in records from the region of Normandy in northern France. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Domesday Book, a manuscript compiled in 1086 under the orders of William the Conqueror, which documented landholders in England. The name is listed as "Longus" in this record, which is the Latin translation of the French "LELONG".
In the 13th century, a notable bearer of the name was Geoffroi LELONG, a French knight who participated in the Seventh Crusade led by King Louis IX of France. Geoffroi LELONG was born around 1220 and died in the Holy Land in 1249 during the Crusade.
Another historical figure with the surname LELONG was Jehan LELONG, a renowned French architect and sculptor who lived from 1450 to 1510. He is best known for his work on the construction of the Château de Chambord, one of the most recognizable châteaux in the Loire Valley.
In the 17th century, a famous bearer of the name was Jean LELONG, a French playwright and poet born in 1665. He was a member of the Académie Française and is known for his tragedies and comedies, including "Médée" and "Le Vieillard Amoureux".
Pierre LELONG, a French mathematician born in 1899 and died in 1988, made significant contributions to the field of potential theory and was a member of the Académie des Sciences in Paris.
Throughout history, variations of the spelling of LELONG have existed, such as Lelonge, Lelong, and Lalonge, often reflecting regional differences in pronunciation or record-keeping practices. Additionally, the name has been associated with various place names in France, such as Longvilliers and Longpré, further solidifying its connection to the concept of "length" or "tallness".
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lelong
Among Census respondents with the surname Lelong, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Lelong 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 Lelong surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.0% · 83
- Hispanic or Latino11.0% · 11
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.0% · 3
- Two or more races3.0% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lelong
Lelong 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
#144,141
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
-12 bearers (-9.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 19,269 places
2020
#155,682
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
-15 bearers (-13.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 11,541 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #124,872 | 127 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #144,141 | 115 | 0.04 | -12 bearers (-9.4%) | Down 19,269 places |
| 2020 | #155,682 | 100 | 0.03 | -15 bearers (-13.0%) | Down 11,541 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 Lelong 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 | #144,141 | #155,682 | -8.0% |
| Count | 115 | 100 | -13.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -16.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lelong bearers went from 115 to 100 (-13.0% change). The surname moved down 11,541 positions in the national ranking, going from #144,141 to #155,682.
FAQ
Lelong surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lelong?
Name Census estimates that about 115 living Americans carry the surname Lelong. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,980,473 residents.
How common is Lelong?
Lelong ranks #155,682 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 100 people with the surname Lelong. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (115), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Lelong.
Has Lelong become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lelong went from 115 recorded bearers to 100. That is a decrease of 15 (-13.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #144,141 to #155,682.
What does the Census say about the background of Lelong?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lelong, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.0%). 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 Lelong in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.0% (83 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lelong appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.0%), Hispanic (11.0%), Asian/Pacific Islander (3.0%). 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 Lelong (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 Lelong mean?
A surname originating in France referring to someone tall or elongated in stature. 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 Lelong (0.03 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 common is the surname Lelong?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Lelong on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.