Explore the Family Name Lang
The meaning of Lang
1. Scottish, English, German, Dutch, Danish, and Jewish (Ashkenazic); Swedish (also Lång): nickname for a tall person, from Older Scots, Middle English, Middle High German, Middle Dutch, and Danish lang ‘long’, Swedish lång. The surname of (Middle High) German origin is also found in France (mainly Alsace and Lorraine), Czechia, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Croatia, and Slovenia. 2. Hungarian (Láng): from láng ‘flame’, hence probably a nickname for a passionate person, or a man with a fighting spirit. Alternatively, it may be an indirect occupational name for a smith or someone who worked with fire. This surname is also found in Slovenia, where it is spelled Lang, and in Slovakia, where it is spelled in both ways. 3. Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 郎, an ancient term to refer to one’s lover or son: (i) from the placename Lang (郎), the name of a city, the living place of Fei Bo, the grandson of the Duke Yi of Lu (ruler of the state of Lu, reigned 815–807 BC). Some of his descendants later changed their original surname Fei to Lang (郎). (ii) borne by some families from the state of the South Huns (48–216 AD, located in northern China). 4. Chinese: Cantonese form of the surname 冷, see Leng 4. 5. Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 梁, see Liang 1. 6. Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 藍, see Lan 1. 7. Vietnamese (Lăng): from the Chinese surname 凌, see Ling 4. 8. Vietnamese: from the Chinese surname 郎, see 3 above. History: This surname (see 1 above) is listed in the (US) National Huguenot Society’s register of qualified Huguenot ancestors.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Lang in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname "Lang" experienced a slight decrease in rank from 499 in 2000 to 545 in 2010, a change of -9.22%. Despite this drop in rank, the actual count of individuals bearing the "Lang" surname increased by 2.82% over the same period, growing from 59,843 in 2000 to 61,529 in 2010. The proportion of the "Lang" surname per 100k people also saw a decrease of -5.95%, moving from 22.18 in 2000 to 20.86 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #499 | #545 | -9.22% |
| Count | 59,843 | 61,529 | 2.82% |
| Proportion per 100k | 22.18 | 20.86 | -5.95% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Lang
The ethnicity associated with the surname "Lang" has seen some shifts from 2000 to 2010, according to the Decennial U.S. Census data. The percentage of individuals with this surname who identify as Asian/Pacific Islander increased by 41.45%, and those identifying as having two or more races grew by 30.50%. The Hispanic demographic also saw growth, with an increase of 54.60%. Those identifying as White saw a decrease of -3.33%, while the Black demographic saw a moderate increase of 4.85%. American Indian and Alaskan Native representation within the "Lang" surname population also increased slightly at 5.36%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 84.16% | 81.36% | -3.33% |
| Black | 9.9% | 10.38% | 4.85% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 2.34% | 3.31% | 41.45% |
| Hispanic | 1.63% | 2.52% | 54.6% |
| Two or More Races | 1.41% | 1.84% | 30.5% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.56% | 0.59% | 5.36% |
Lang ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Lang is British & Irish, which comprises 36.9% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (29.4%) and Eastern European (7.7%). Additional ancestries include Ashkenazi Jewish, Scandinavian, Italian, Chinese, and Spanish & Portuguese.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 36.9% |
| French & German | 29.4% |
| Eastern European | 7.7% |
| Other | 26.0% |
Possible origins of the surname Lang
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Lang have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 71.90% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 71.60% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 71.40% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 71.30% |
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 71.00% |
What Lang haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Lang is R-P311, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-P311 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-CTS241 and R-M467, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Smith, Miller, Hill, Green, White, Wilson, Brown, Young, Rose, Taylor.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Lang surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Lang have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Lang" Surname 41.9%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Lang" Surname 28.0%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Lang" Surname 20.9%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Lang" Surname 17.1%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Lang?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Lang are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition