Langston
From Old English lang (“long, tall”) + stan (“stone”).
Every Langston since 1912 — 7,664 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Langston
Langston is uncommon for boys in the United States, ranked #1,000 in 2025 with 227 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.
Since 1912, 7,664 American babies have been named Langston. Its peak came in 2016, when 425 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 2010s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Langston stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Langston year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 7 | #12,609 | 227 | #1,000 |
| 2024 | 6 | #14,470 | 257 | #910 |
| 2023 | 9 | #10,798 | 261 | #892 |
| 2022 | 9 | #10,854 | 320 | #789 |
| 2021 | 6 | #14,471 | 343 | #743 |
| 2020 | 9 | #10,753 | 367 | #694 |
| 2019 | 12 | #8,874 | 379 | #679 |
| 2018 | 16 | #7,272 | 359 | #682 |
| 2017 | 16 | #7,272 | 375 | #677 |
| 2016 | 20 | #6,308 | 405 | #652 |
| 2015 | 19 | #6,608 | 365 | #689 |
| 2014 | 24 | #5,559 | 317 | #748 |
| 2013 | 34 | #4,298 | 209 | #958 |
| 2012 | 24 | #5,646 | 170 | #1,099 |
| 2011 | 31 | #4,632 | 177 | #1,065 |
| 2010 | 29 | #4,920 | 180 | #1,078 |
| 2009 | 30 | #4,883 | 172 | #1,080 |
| 2008 | 26 | #5,515 | 187 | #1,027 |
| 2007 | 12 | #9,894 | 142 | #1,240 |
| 2006 | 6 | #16,247 | 98 | #1,531 |
| 2005 | — | — | 111 | #1,357 |
| 2004 | — | — | 86 | #1,545 |
| 2003 | — | — | 96 | #1,396 |
| 2002 | — | — | 88 | #1,454 |
| 2001 | — | — | 82 | #1,493 |
| 2000 | — | — | 72 | #1,632 |
| 1995 | — | — | 66 | #1,471 |
| 1990 | — | — | 40 | #1,924 |
| 1985 | — | — | 16 | #3,024 |
| 1980 | — | — | 17 | #2,797 |
| 1975 | — | — | 9 | #3,806 |
| 1970 | — | — | 12 | #2,809 |
| 1965 | — | — | 10 | #2,706 |
| 1960 | — | — | 16 | #2,083 |
| 1955 | — | — | 11 | #2,501 |
| 1950 | — | — | 9 | #2,680 |
| 1945 | — | — | 15 | #1,824 |
| 1940 | — | — | 6 | #3,305 |
| 1935 | — | — | 16 | #1,798 |
| 1930 | — | — | 9 | #2,898 |
| 1925 | — | — | 9 | #3,039 |
| 1920 | — | — | 14 | #2,287 |
| 1915 | — | — | 5 | #4,127 |
| 1910 | — | — | — | — |
| 1905 | — | — | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — | — | — |
| 1895 | — | — | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — | — | — |
| 1885 | — | — | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
Famous people named Langston
- Langston Hughes Writer · 1902–1967
- Langston Galloway Basketball player · b. 1991
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Langston mean?
From Old English lang (“long, tall”) + stan (“stone”).
How popular is the name Langston in 2025?
Langston ranked #1,000 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 227 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Langston?
7,664 babies have been named Langston in the United States since 1912, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Langston most popular?
Langston peaked in 2016, when 425 newborns received the name.
Is Langston a boy or girl name?
Langston is overwhelmingly a boy's name — 95% of babies with the name.
Is the name Langston rising or falling?
Langston has been roughly stable over the past decade.
Who are famous people named Langston?
Well-known people named Langston include Langston Hughes (writer), Langston Galloway (basketball player).