Lange
A surname with two main roots: in German it usually means “tall” or “long,” while in French it can be a shortened form of names meaning “the angel.”
The #1,132 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 9,965 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The name has more than one independent source. In German, Lange comes from the old word for “long” or “tall,” used as a nickname for a person of notable height. English records also show forms like Lang and Lange from the same descriptive root. Some French etymological works also connect Lange with older French forms meaning “the angel,” though that is a separate surname tradition rather than the same origin everywhere.
History
The surname is well established in German-speaking areas and also appears in medieval English records as Lang or Lange. In English usage it often merged with other spellings from the same “long” nickname tradition. In French contexts, related forms may have been influenced by religious or personal-name forms involving “angel,” but this is less secure and may not apply to all bearers.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Because it has multiple origins, two unrelated families named Lange may have the same surname for entirely different reasons.
From the historical record
“earlier -el, Lat. -ell-us\ LANGE (Fr.) The Angel [Fr. £', the; Lat. ille + ange, angel : see Angel(l in Diet. (Ger.) Long, Tall [f. O.Teut. /a«^, long] LANGLAIS"! (Fr.) The Englishman [Fr. Z,', LANGLOIS J the; Lat. ille + anglais, earlier anglois, English(man : see under Engel', and + Fr. -ais -ois, Lat. ensis]”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)