2000
#10,591
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,777
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.03
Rare Last name
Lingo
An English surname derived from the Old Norse byname Linngeirr, meaning "flax spear" or "flax warrior."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,092 Americans carry the last name Lingo. That puts it at #11,216 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.90 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 110,852 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lingo 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
3.1K
1 in 110,852
Census rank
#11,216
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,696 bearers of the surname Lingo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.90 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11216th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lingo, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.2%. The next largest groups are Black (9.5%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lingo
The surname Lingo is believed to have originated in Italy, with roots dating back to the medieval period. The earliest known records of the name can be traced to the regions of Tuscany and Umbria, where variations such as "Lingo" and "Linghi" were commonly used.
One theory suggests that the name Lingo may have derived from the Latin word "lingua," meaning "tongue" or "language." This connection could indicate that the surname was initially associated with individuals who excelled in communication, translation, or linguistic abilities.
Another possibility is that the name Lingo is derived from a place name or geographical location. During the Middle Ages, it was common for individuals to adopt surnames based on the name of their place of origin or residence. Unfortunately, specific records linking the name Lingo to a particular town or village have not been conclusively identified.
In the 13th century, a reference to a nobleman named Giovanni Lingo was found in a manuscript detailing the histories of noble families in Tuscany. This is one of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Lingo appearing in official documents.
During the Renaissance period, the Lingo family gained prominence in the city of Florence, where they were involved in the textile trade and held positions of influence within the city's guilds. Notably, Girolamo Lingo (1505-1576) was a respected merchant and philanthropist who funded the construction of a hospital and charitable institution in Florence.
In the 17th century, a branch of the Lingo family migrated to the Kingdom of Naples, where they established themselves as landowners and agricultural entrepreneurs. Pietro Lingo (1638-1712) was a prominent figure in this lineage, known for his innovations in olive oil production and his contributions to the local economy.
As the Lingo surname spread throughout Italy and beyond, notable individuals bearing this name emerged in various fields. For example, Antonio Lingo (1789-1865) was a celebrated painter and fresco artist from Milan, renowned for his works adorning churches and public buildings throughout northern Italy.
In the literary world, Emilia Lingo (1825-1892) was a acclaimed poet and author from Venice, whose collections of poetry and essays were widely celebrated during her lifetime and continue to be studied and appreciated by scholars today.
Lingo has also been a surname carried by notable figures in other parts of Europe, such as the French composer and violinist Jean-Baptiste Lingo (1753-1801), who made significant contributions to the development of classical music during the late 18th century.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lingo
Among Census respondents with the surname Lingo, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.2%. The next largest groups are Black (9.5%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Lingo 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 Lingo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White79.2% · 2,136
- Black or African American9.5% · 257
- Two or more races4.6% · 124
- Hispanic or Latino4.0% · 108
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.4% · 39
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.2% · 32
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lingo
Lingo 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
#11,021
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,886
+109 bearers (+3.9%)
Per 100,000 0.98
Rank movement Down 430 places
2020
#11,216
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,696
-190 bearers (-6.6%)
Per 100,000 0.90
Rank movement Down 195 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,591 | 2,777 | 1.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,021 | 2,886 | 0.98 | +109 bearers (+3.9%) | Down 430 places |
| 2020 | #11,216 | 2,696 | 0.90 | -190 bearers (-6.6%) | Down 195 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 Lingo 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 | #11,021 | #11,216 | -1.8% |
| Count | 2,886 | 2,696 | -6.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.98 | 0.90 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lingo bearers went from 2,886 to 2,696 (-6.6% change). The surname moved down 195 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,021 to #11,216.
FAQ
Lingo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lingo?
Name Census estimates that about 3,092 living Americans carry the surname Lingo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 110,852 residents.
How common is Lingo?
Lingo ranks #11,216 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.90 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 2,696 people with the surname Lingo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,092), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.9 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.90 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 Lingo.
Has Lingo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lingo went from 2,886 recorded bearers to 2,696. That is a decrease of 190 (-6.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,021 to #11,216.
What does the Census say about the background of Lingo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lingo, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.2%. The next largest groups are Black (9.5%) 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 Lingo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 79.2% (2,136 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lingo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (79.2%), Black (9.5%), 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 Lingo (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 Lingo mean?
An English surname derived from the Old Norse byname Linngeirr, meaning "flax spear" or "flax warrior." 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 Lingo (0.90 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 are called Lingo?
See how common the surname Lingo is on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.