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Langston

♀ Girl

Pronounced LANG-stun /ˈlæŋ.stən/High

Meaning: From an English place name and surname, usually explained as 'long stone' or 'the tall man's town' (Old English lang, 'long, tall', plus stan, 'stone', or tun, 'settlement'). Its fame as a first name rests on the poet Langston Hughes. It is strongly a boys' name; used here for a girl, and we note the lean clearly.Medium

In 30 seconds: Langston is an English surname — 'long stone' or 'the tall man's town' (said 'LANG-stun'). It is strongly a boy's name; we note the lean clearly.

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Origin MediumEnglish

MeaningFrom an English place name and surname, usually explained as 'long stone' or 'the tall man's town' (Old English lang, 'long, tall', plus stan, 'stone', or tun, 'settlement'). Its fame as a first name rests on the poet Langston Hughes. It is strongly a boys' name; used here for a girl, and we note the lean clearly.

U.S. rank (2024)#14420 ↘ Falling

2024 U.S. births6 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)

Peak year2013

Total births (all-time)≈ 338

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Langston began as an English place name and surname, read as 'long stone' or 'the tall man's town'. It became a first name in America, where the poet Langston Hughes made it resonate. Used here on the girls' side, it is strongly a boy's and surname name, which we note clearly (said 'LANG-stun').

For girls it appears only very rarely in the U.S., against much heavier boys' use. Rare here, literary, and surname-strong.

Did you know? Langston carries the voice of the poet Langston Hughes, a giant of the Harlem Renaissance. The name is overwhelmingly a boys' name, and we say so plainly (said 'LANG-stun').

Overall data confidence 55%

References — Langston — English surname 'long stone'; poet Langston Hughes; strongly boy-leaning

Variations

LangstenLangdonLandon

Nicknames

LangSten

Famous Bearers

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Langston mean?

Langston is an English surname meaning 'long stone' or 'the tall man's town', best known from the poet Langston Hughes.

How do you pronounce Langston?

It's said LANG-stun /ˈlæŋ.stən/ — two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Langston a boy or girl name?

Langston is strongly a boy's and surname name; girls' use is very rare, and we note the lean clearly.

How popular is Langston?

Langston is very rare for girls in the U.S. and far more common for boys.