LANGHORNE
Langhorne is a surname of English provenance. The name is originally derived from Old English elements meaning *long* and *horn* or *corner*, indicating a person who lived near or at a long bend or prominent point of terrain.
The first recorded bearers of the name appear in the late sixteenth century. Records list William Langhorne of Cumberland in a 1582 register for Oxford University, John Longhorne of St. Mary Whitechapel, London in 1629, and Wylly Longthorn of Norwich in 1632. An earlier mention is that of Kathryn Langthorne, christened at Attleborough, Norfolk on 4 February 1567 during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
The family’s heraldic achievement was granted in Bedford in 1610. The blazon describes a black field bearing a silver cross, with a silver chief displaying three bugle‑horns of the field, stringed red. This coat of arms is still recognised by the College of Arms.
The spelling of the surname has varied over the centuries. Typical variants include Langhorn, Langthorn, Longhorn and Longthorn. These differences are usually attributed to regional pronunciation and orthographic practices rather than to entirely distinct lineages.
Most modern bearers of the name reside in the United Kingdom and the United States. In the UK the surname is most common in the southern counties, notably Buckinghamshire, Surrey and Kent, and also occurs in Yorkshire. In the United States its greatest density is found in the Southern states, particularly Florida, Georgia and Virginia, with additional pockets in New Jersey, North Carolina and Pennsylvania. In Canada the name is mainly located along the Eastern coast, including Ontario and Nova Scotia, with smaller communities in British Columbia and Alberta. Australian records place the surname widely, especially in rural Victoria and New South Wales.
The surname is uncommonly found outside English‑speaking nations. Its distribution reflects migration patterns from Britain to North America and Australia in the last four centuries. Despite its relative rarity, the name has a long and documented heritage that continues to be traceable through parish registers, heraldic rolls and civil documentation.
Typical given names associated with the Langhorne surname
Male
- Daniel
- David
- Graham
- John
- Karl
- Keith
- Leslie
- Mark
- Matthew
- Nicholas
- Peter
- Philip
- Richard
- Russell
Female
- Annette
- Carol
- Emma
- Helen
- Jane
- Janet
- Jean
- Joanna
- Karen
- Louise
- Penelope
- Stacey
- Susan
- Wendy
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 Langhorne in...
Braille
⠇⠁⠝⠛⠓⠕⠗⠝⠑
Morse
.-...--.--.....---.-.-..
Semaphore
There are approximately 299 people named Langhorne in the UK. That makes it one of Britain's least common surnames. Only around five in a million people in Britain are named Langhorne.
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Langhorne
- Harold Stephen Langhorne - Army general (1866 to 1932)
- James Langhorne - Cricketer (1879 to 1950)
- Algernon Philip Yorke Langhorne - Army general (1882 to 1945)
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.