Lang
A common surname from a nickname for a tall person, with some families also taking it from place names.
The #545 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 5,018 Americans shares it.
Etymology
In English and related Germanic languages, lang means “long” or “tall.” As a surname, it began most often as a nickname for a person of great height or long-limbed build. Some bearers may instead descend from local surnames formed from places named with the same word, such as Langdale or other “long valley/ridge” names.
History
The name is widely found in England, Scotland, and German-speaking lands, and it has multiple independent origins. Lower explicitly notes both the nickname sense and a local source; later scholarship also points to similar forms in Scots and German usage. Because the form is so short and common, many unrelated families can share it.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The same root behind Lang also appears in many place names and compounds, such as Langdale and Langford.
From the historical record
“-enclosure, -ridge, -ford, -dale. LANG. LANGE. A-Sax and O. Eng Long, tall. Also local. De Lang. H.E. LANGBEARD. The peculiarities of fashion in beards have given rise to several surnames. In this instance the original bearer affected a long or patriarchal adorn- ment of his face. LANGDALE. Two or three places in…”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom