The Langan surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 4,982 people carried this name — #6,769 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 59,200 people counted. That is up 10% from 4,513 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Langan surname

Reduced Anglicized form of Irish Ó Longáin (“descendant of Longán”), a personal name derived from a diminutive of long (“tall”) or long (“ship”), thus a nickname for a seafarer.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Langan» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

In Ireland’s birth registers, 1890

Ireland registered 19 births for the Langan name in 1890.

They were registered in all four provinces, most of all in Connacht. By the Registrar-General’s own method — births multiplied by 44.38 — that is about 800 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time. The Registrar-General’s note on the name: “Mayo.”

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they were born, 1890

Connacht 10
Leinster 6
Ulster 2
Munster 1

Registrar-General for Ireland, «Special Report on Surnames in Ireland» (R. E. Matheson, 1894), births index of 1890 — public domain.

In Argentina’s national register

At least 67 people named Langan live in Argentina.

RENAPER only publishes a name in a province when more than ten people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Buenos Aires Province.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they live today

Buenos Aires Province 47
City of Buenos Aires 20

RENAPER (National Registry of Persons, Argentina), surnames of residents by province, December 2021 — CC BY 4.0.

In Scotland’s registers today

Langan was recorded 12 times in Scotland’s registers of births, marriages and deaths in 2025.

That made it the 1665th most common name in those registers, shared with others on the same count. In 1975, the first year of the series, the count was 11. Each birth counts the child’s surname, each marriage both partners’ and each death the surname of the person who died — a yearly count of registrations, not of the people who live in Scotland.

National Records of Scotland, «Most Common Surnames, 2025» (published 26 May 2026): every surname recorded 10 or more times in the 2025 registers, and the series from 1975 · different spellings are counted separately — © Crown copyright 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

In print

Langan in American newspapers,
1824–1916.

Newspaper page from The Salt Lake Tribune carrying the name Langan
The Salt Lake Tribune 1910-03-27
Newspaper page from The Ogden Standard carrying the name Langan
The Ogden Standard 1916-08-26
Newspaper page from Palladium Of Virginia And The Pacific Monitor carrying the name Langan
Palladium Of Virginia And The Pacific Monitor 1824-08-23

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain.

In print

Langan in Australian newspapers,
1840s–1980s.

3,026 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Langan. The most, 735, date from the 1910s. New South Wales has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in Queensland, at 1.9 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 1,362
Queensland 1,143
Victoria 291
Western Australia 122
South Australia 36
ACT (Canberra) 34
Tasmania 20
Northern Territory 7

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Langan.

Who carried it

People named Langan,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Owen Francis Langan
    Owen Francis Langan 1884–1963 · athlete
  • Raymond Alyosius Joseph Langan
    Raymond Alyosius Joseph Langan 1911–1969 · priest
  • Glenn Langan
    Glenn Langan 1917–1991 · actor
  • John Langan I 1831–1900
  • Hugh P. Langan 1849–1902 · politician
  • James Langan 1857–1941

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Langan,
in the records of 7 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States1,575 records

1,575 records of the Langan name in the United States
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 554
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 462
  • Other U.S. records 559
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record William M. Langan

    Born 1905 in Idaho. Enlisted 1942 at Camp Adair Corvallis, Oregon; secretary from Benton County, Oregon. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1981, buried at Willamette National Cemetery, Oregon.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Elizabeth Langan

    Arrived at New York in 1885 aboard the Aurania from Liverpool and Queenstown, aged 30; matron. From Down, Ireland.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)
  3. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Larry Milton Langan

    Born 1947; from Columbus, Nebraska. U.S. Marine Corps, assault amphibious vehicle crewman; killed in action 1967 in Quang Tri, South Vietnam.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)

Showing 3 of 1,575 records for Langan in the United States.

Counts: NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain).

Australia170 records

170 records of the Langan name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 67
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 32
  • Other Australian records 71
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Bridget Langan

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Mary Anne, sailing from Dublin in 1840. Native of Sligo. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1843.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Elizabeth Langan

    Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1847. Married 1847 in Richmond, Tasmania, aged 23.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Mary Langan

    Arrived in Victoria in 1853 aboard the Marion Moore, aged 27; Irish.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 170 records for Langan in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Canada29 records

29 records of the Langan name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 25
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 2
  • Other Canadian records 2
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record John Joseph Langan

    Died 1966 in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Mary Jean Langan

    Died 1984; buried at Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver, British Columbia.

    City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver.
  3. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Joseph Jack Jean Langan

    Died 1998; buried at Brookside Cemetery, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

    City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg.

Showing 3 of 29 records for Langan in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0).

Ireland22 records

22 records of the Langan name in Ireland County Galway graveyard records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record William Langan

    Died 1996, aged 86; buried at Lackagh (Old), Co. Galway.

    Galway County Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Patrick Langan

    Died 1918, aged 26; buried at Killererin (Old), Co. Galway.

    Galway County Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Katie Langan

    Died 1945, aged 56; buried at Ballygar, Co. Galway.

    Galway County Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 22 records for Langan in Ireland.

Counts: Galway County Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

United Kingdom12 records

12 records of the Langan name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 7
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 5
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Bridget Langan

    Buried in 1848 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 53.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record W. Langan

    Shropshire Light Infantry. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record John Langan

    Buried in 1825 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Showing 3 of 12 records for Langan in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

France3 records

3 records of the Langan name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Catherine Mary Langan

    Born 1956 in Ireland; died 1999 in Guéret (Creuse).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Patrick James Mario Langan

    Born 1912 in India; died 1996 in Villiers-le-Bel (Val-d'Oise).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  3. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Anne Marie Josephine Langan

    Born 1909 in Hirel; died 1985 in Cherrueix (Ille-et-Vilaine).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Norway1 record

1 record of the Langan name in Norway Norway's 1910 census
  1. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Census record Ingeborg Langan

    Census of 1910: Aas (gaard), Vegardsheien; maidservant, born 1885 in Vegardsheien.

    Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO)

Counts: Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Langan.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Langan is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

See the Langan volume
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