Langdon
A locational surname meaning someone from a place called Langdon, literally “long hill.”
The #4,041 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 35,109 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Langdon is a habitational surname from places named Langdon in England, especially in Kent, Essex, and Cornwall. The place-name comes from Old English lang meaning “long” and dun meaning “hill,” so the literal sense is “long hill.”
History
Historical surname dictionaries note several independent place-based origins for Langdon, not just one family line. In Cornwall, one recorded family is said to descend from Langdon in Jacobstow, described as an ancient patrimony. The surname is also found in Kent and Essex, and later appears in English and Anglo-American records more widely.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
One Cornish source specifically glosses the place-name as “long hill,” which is a classic Old English landscape name.
From the historical record
“ering before the time of King John. LANGDON. Parishes in Kent, Essex, &c. The Langdons of Cornwall derive from Langdon in the parish of Jacol^stow, their ancient patrimony. C. S. Gilbert's Corn- wall. LANGFORD. Parishes, &c., in cos. Bed- ford, Berks, Norfolk, Essex, Somerset, Not- tingham,Wilts,&c. The Cornish…”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom