Surname Langen - Meaning and Origin
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Unveiling the Langen Legacy: A Deep Dive into My iGENEA DNA Test and Family History
After receiving my iGENEA DNA test results, I'm amazed at the journey my ancestors have taken. It reveals that my surname, Langen, has deep roots in Western Europe, specifically Germany and the Netherlands. Worth highlighting is how my surname links back to regions known for being ‘long’, a feature that gives fresh perspective into my heritage. It's also intriguing that my lineage traces back to the ancient Celts, a historical insight that adds a thrilling layer to my ancestry.
R. Langen
read moreLangen: What does the surname Langen mean?
The last name Langen is derived from the German word “lang”, meaning long or tall. It was originally used as a nickname for someone who was tall or large, as well as for those who lived in areas near long stretches of land.
The earliest known example of the surname is from 1130 in Flanders where a person named Lauengen, which later became Langen, was mentioned in records. From this point onwards, records are found of Langens in various German-speaking countries such as Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
The surname Langen is now found throughout Europe and is common in the United States. It can be found in many forms ranging from the original “Langen’ to variations such as “Lang”, “Lange”, “Langner”, and “Langenthaler”.
The name Langen is also found in other countries like Scotland, Ireland, and Canada. It is a testament to its German origins that the surname has been so widely adopted all over the world.
The Langen family motto is “Au Long”, which means “with perseverance” in French, emphasizing their commitment to hard work and determination.
Order DNA origin analysisLangen: Where does the name Langen come from?
The last name Langen is believed to have German origins, stemming from the name ‘Lang’ which means ‘long’. Today, it is most commonly found in Germany and the Netherlands, with many of the Dutch Langen families originating from West Friesland in the Netherlands.
In Germany, the last name Langen can be found in several areas, including the states of Bavaria, Baden-Wurttemberg and North Rhine-Westphalia. In the Netherlands, the last name is mainly concentrated in the provinces of Friesland and Overijssel.
In terms of international distribution, the last name Langen can be found in large numbers in the United States, where it ranks as the 42,096th most common name. However, it is most popular in countries such as Germany, the Netherlands, Australia and Canada, where it is ranked between 5,000 to 20,000 most common. It is also found in smaller numbers in Austria, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Hungary.
Overall, the last name Langen continues to be most prominent in North-western and Central Europe, particularly in Germany and the Netherlands. It is however, also well-established around the world, with some of the highest concentrations in countries such as the United States, Australia, and Canada.
Variations of the surname Langen
The surname Langen can have many different variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin. Common ones include Lange, Long, Laang, Lagesen, Lenge, Laingen, Lahngen, Langan, Langlein, Longin, Laagend, Lahange, Langon, and Lingen.
The spelling of a surname often changes over time, even if it is spelled the same way. Variations in the spelling of surnames came about due to the fact that languages changed over the course of time. For example, a surname could have been spelled Lange in the 1500s, but by the 1800s, it was spelled Langen.
The common German and Dutch word for long is lang, so Langen is thought to originate from people who were known for their tall stature or long limbs. The linguist Jan de Vries proposed that this word was taken into surname use as early as the 12th century.
Variations of the surname Langen can also include the anglicisation of the name, which can result in surnames like Long, Laing, Laning, and Loner. This was common practice when English-speaking people immigrated.
The surname Langen is also common in various countries across the world, such as the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Netherlands, and Sweden. This makes it even more likely that the original spelling of the name could have been adapted and changed over varying languages and cultures.
Famous people with the name Langen
- Margaret Langen, American Politician
- Helmut Langen, German entrepreneur
- Gustav Langen, German engineer
- Erika Langen, German painter
- Ferdinand Langen, German general
- Alfred Langen, German chemist
- Johannes Langen, German attorney
- Ernst Langen, German pilot
- Lotte Langen, Austrian actress
- Willi Langen, German footballer
- Peter Langen, Danish singer
- Roni Langen, Israeli martial artist
- Gustave Langen, French composer
- Gustav Langen, German military officer
- William Langen, American soldier
- Jean Langen, American architect
- Paul Langen, Dutch sportsman
- Erich Langen, German conductor
- Franz Langen, German philologist
- Olaf Langen, Norwegian rower