2000
#20,124
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,232
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.46
Rare Last name
Leng
An English surname derived from the Old English "leng" meaning "long" or "tall."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,410 Americans carry the last name Leng. That puts it at #13,778 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.70 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 142,222 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Leng 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 Leng with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.4K
1 in 142,222
Census rank
#13,778
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,102 bearers of the surname Leng in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.70 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13778th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Leng, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 78.2%. The next largest groups are White (14.9%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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A notable historical reference to the name LENG can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which recorded landholdings in England after the Norman Conquest.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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Leng
Among Census respondents with the surname Leng, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 78.2%. The next largest groups are White (14.9%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Leng 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 Leng surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander78.2% · 1,644
- White14.9% · 314
- Two or more races2.9% · 61
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 57
- Black or African American1.1% · 23
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Leng
Leng 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
#17,502
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,610
+378 bearers (+30.7%)
Per 100,000 0.55
Rank movement Up 2,622 places
2020
#13,778
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,102
+492 bearers (+30.6%)
Per 100,000 0.70
Rank movement Up 3,724 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #20,124 | 1,232 | 0.46 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #17,502 | 1,610 | 0.55 | +378 bearers (+30.7%) | Up 2,622 places |
| 2020 | #13,778 | 2,102 | 0.70 | +492 bearers (+30.6%) | Up 3,724 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 Leng 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 | #17,502 | #13,778 | 21.3% |
| Count | 1,610 | 2,102 | 30.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.55 | 0.70 | 27.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Leng bearers went from 1,610 to 2,102 (+30.6% change). The surname moved up 3,724 positions in the national ranking, going from #17,502 to #13,778.
FAQ
Leng surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Leng?
Name Census estimates that about 2,410 living Americans carry the surname Leng. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 142,222 residents.
How common is Leng?
Leng ranks #13,778 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.70 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,102 people with the surname Leng. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,410), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.7 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.70 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Leng.
Has Leng become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Leng went from 1,610 recorded bearers to 2,102. That is an increase of 492 (+30.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #17,502 to #13,778.
What does the Census say about the background of Leng?
Among Census respondents with the surname Leng, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 78.2%. The next largest groups are White (14.9%) and Two or More Races (2.9%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Leng in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.2% (1,644 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Leng appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (78.2%), White (14.9%), Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Leng (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 Leng mean?
An English surname derived from the Old English "leng" meaning "long" or "tall." 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 Leng (0.70 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 Leng?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.