Long Surname

Meaning and origin of the surname Long

Descriptive nickname derived from Old English lang ('long' or 'tall'), designating a remarkably tall person, or an Anglicization of the Gaelic surname Ó Longáin ('descendant of Longán').

Historically and linguistically, Long belongs to the English and Celtic family of surnames. It is conventionally pronounced "LONG".

United States Census frequency and ranking

In the official 2010 United States Census, Long was recorded 229,374 times, ranking as the 97th most common surname in the nation.

This represents an incidence rate of approximately 77.76 bearers per 100,000 Americans, or roughly 1 out of every 1,286 residents.

Race and ethnicity distribution

According to official decennial Census genealogy microdata, individuals bearing the surname Longreported the following racial and ethnic affiliations in the 2010 US Census:

Source: US Census Bureau, 2010 Census Surnames Data. Percentages may not sum to exactly 100% due to independent rounding or suppression of small cell counts for privacy protection.

History of the surname Long

Long originated primarily as an Anglo-Saxon descriptive nickname derived from the Old English adjective lang (or Old Norse langr), signifying 'long' or 'tall'. Bestowed upon an individual of exceptional physical height or lanky stature, the nickname was readily adopted across all social strata of medieval England. In Gaelic Ireland, Long independently emerged as an Anglicization of Ó Longáin ('descendant of Longán', from an Old Irish personal name meaning 'long-standing' or 'ship-person', from long 'ship').

Medieval English documents reflect numerous early occurrences, such as Æðelweard se Langa in Old English charters of Devon around 972 and Berard le Long in the Pipe Rolls of Norfolk in 1198. The landed family of Long of Wiltshire established great territorial influence from the fourteenth century onward, holding Draycot Cerne, Rood Ashton, and South Wraxall, producing numerous High Sheriffs of Wiltshire and members of Parliament. In Ireland, the Ó Longáin family served as hereditary scribes and historians to the MacCarthy Mor dynasty in Munster.

Long colonists embarked aboard early seventeenth-century vessels to Virginia, Massachusetts, and Maryland, later expanding across the Appalachian mountain chain into North Carolina, Tennessee, and Kentucky. The surname featured prominently in twentieth-century American political history through Louisiana governor and U.S. Senator Huey Long (1893–1935). In the 2010 United States Census, Long ranked 97th nationwide with 229,374 recorded individuals, displaying broad demographic presence across the South, Midwest, and Mid-Atlantic states.

Notable people with the surname Long

• Huey Long (1893–1935), American politician who served as 40th Governor of Louisiana and U.S. Senator
• Howie Long (1960–), American Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive end and sports analyst
• Nia Long (1970–), American actress known for Boyz n the Hood and The Best Man
• Crawford Long (1815–1878), American surgeon who first used inhaled diethyl ether as an anesthetic in surgery