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

Leng, 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 Leng surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Leng in America

Leng is the 17502nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Leng surname appeared 1,610 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Leng.

We can also compare 2010 data for Leng 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 Leng

The surname LENG is believed to have originated in England and Scotland during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "leng," meaning "long" or "tall," which was likely used as a descriptive nickname for a person of tall stature.

The name can be traced back to the 13th century, with one of the earliest recorded instances being in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which listed a Robert Leng in Oxfordshire. In Scotland, the name appeared in the records of the Exchequer Rolls in 1329, mentioning a William Lenge.

A notable historical reference to the name LENG can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which recorded landholdings in England after the Norman Conquest. While the name itself is not mentioned, there are entries for places that may have contributed to the formation of the surname, such as Lengefeld (now Lingfield) in Surrey.

In the 14th century, the name LENG appeared in various forms, including Lenge, Lengi, and Lengy. These variations likely stemmed from regional pronunciations and spelling conventions of the time. Some early examples include John Lengy, recorded in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327, and William Lengi, mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1379.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname LENG gained prominence, with several notable individuals bearing the name. One such person was Sir James Leng (1570-1628), an English lawyer and Member of Parliament who served as Recorder of London from 1617 to 1628.

Another prominent figure was Sir Neville Leng (1641-1727), an English merchant and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London from 1708 to 1709. He was known for his involvement in the South Sea Company and his efforts to improve the city's infrastructure.

In the 18th century, John Leng (1737-1804) was a notable Scottish poet and writer who published works such as "The Thistle of Scotland" and "The British Songster." He was celebrated for his patriotic and romantic verses celebrating Scottish culture and history.

The 19th century saw the rise of John Leng (1828-1906), a Scottish newspaper proprietor and politician. He founded the Dundee Courier and Evening Telegraph, which became influential publications in Scotland. He also served as a Member of Parliament for Dundee from 1885 to 1900.

Another prominent figure from this period was Sir William Leng (1828-1902), a British industrialist and philanthropist. He made significant contributions to the development of the coal and iron industries in South Wales and was known for his philanthropic work in education and social welfare.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Leng

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

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 Leng 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 Leng 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 Leng was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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