Langston

Did you know?

A few things about Langston you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.

⭐ Famous Langston

Langston Hughes

American writer and social activist (1901–1967)

Choose Langston and your child shares a first name with Langston Hughes, an American writer and social activist. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Langston, like who?” Langston Hughes's Wikipedia article is available in 87 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.

Read about Langston Hughes on Wikipedia ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Photo: Carl Van Vechten, Public domain (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons

• 👶How commonAbout 1 in every 7,524 baby boys born in the US in 2025 was named Langston, 227 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Langston would very likely be the only one.
• 📜HistoryLangston first shows up in US birth records in 1912, the first year at least 5 babies got it. It has been in use for 113 years since.
• 🏆Best yearIts best year was 2016, when it reached #652.
• 📈Then vs nowLangston is 3.6× more common today than it was in 2000. In 2000 it was given to about 1 in 27,248 baby boys; in 2025, about 1 in 7,524.
• 🍂TrendLangston has slipped 305 places over the last five years and now sits at #999. Good news if you want a familiar name that fewer kids will share.
• 📍Where it's lovedLangston is most popular in Oklahoma, where it ranks #395, followed by Missouri (#518) and Alabama (#525). It's in the top 1,000 in 15 states.
• 💬MeaningIn English, Langston means “long stone”.

About the name Langston

Langston is a boy name of English origin meaning “long stone”. It has 8 letters and 2 syllables, starting with L and ending in “-ton”. US birth records list Langston for boys from 1912 to 2025, in 110 of those 114 years. Its best year was 2016, when it ranked #652 among boy names. In 2025 it ranked #999, with 227 babies.

Origin:English names