LANGE
Lange is a surname of German origin that has been adopted and adapted in various linguistic contexts across Europe. The name derives from the German word lang, meaning “long”, and was initially applied as a descriptive nickname to an individual of tall or elongated stature.
In the German-speaking domains of Europe, the surname evolved into a hereditary family name, passed from one generation to the next. It became attached to distinct lineages and, over centuries, disseminated widely beyond its points of origination. Today, people bearing the surname Lange are most commonly found in Germany and other German‑speaking communities, though its presence can be observed throughout the world as a result of migration.
Historical records also associate the surname with Anglo‑Saxon and Irish origins. In Anglo‑Saxon England, the name emerged as a nickname for a tall person, derived from the Old English lang with identical meaning. Notable early mentions include Leofwine Lange, noted in the 1070 Anglo‑Saxon Chronicle, and Berard Long, appearing in documents of the Abbey of Bury St. Edmunds between 1121 and 1148. In Ireland, the name derives from an Anglicisation of the Gaelic O’Longain, composed of “O”, meaning male descendant of, and “Longain”, a personal name probably linked to long as well, or alternatively to a ship, suggesting a by‑name for a seafarer.
The earliest recorded spelling of the surname in an English context is that of Aetheric thes Langa, dated 972 and appearing in the “Old English Bynames” from Northamptonshire during the reign of King Edgar of England. The surname has also been recorded in later centuries in the New World; Henry Long, aged 21, departed from the port of London aboard the Hopewell in February 1634 bound for Barbados, indicating the surname’s migration to the Americas.
Over time, the surname has accumulated a variety of orthographic variants, including Lang, Lange, Long and Lung. These differences arise from linguistic shifts and spelling conventions in different regions and periods, yet they all trace back to the same root concept of a long or tall individual.
Typical given names associated with the Lange surname
Male
- David
- John
- Mark
- Martin
- Matthew
- Michael
- Paul
- Peter
- Philip
- Robert
- Stephen
- Thomas
Female
- Anna
- Annika
- Caroline
- Catherine
- Deborah
- Emma
- Jeanette
- Julia
- Karen
- Linda
- Margaret
- Mary
- Maxine
- Rebecca
- Sheila
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Lange in...
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There are approximately 1,031 people named Lange in the UK. That makes it roughly the 7,198th most common surname in Britain. Around 16 in a million people in Britain are named Lange.
Region of origin: Europe
Country of origin: Germany
Language of origin: German
Famous people named Lange
- Robert John "Mutt" Lange - South African record producer, songwriter, Grammy winner
- Jessica Lange - American actress
- Artie Lange - Comedian, radio personality
- Harry Lange - German designer (1930 to 2008)
- Tony Lange - Football player
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.