2000
#129,619
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Lantos
A surname of Hungarian origin meaning from the village of Lantosfalva.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 167 Americans carry the last name Lantos. That puts it at #123,817 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,052,421 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lantos surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
167
1 in 2,052,421
Census rank
#123,817
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
146
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 146 bearers of the surname Lantos in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 123817th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lantos, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lantos
The surname Lantos originated in Hungary, with the earliest records dating back to the late 15th century. It is believed to be derived from the Hungarian word "lantos," which means "lute player" or "lutenist." This suggests that the name may have been originally given as an occupational surname to someone who played the lute or other stringed instruments.
The Lantos surname is found in various historical records from Hungary, including church registers and census documents. One of the earliest known instances of the name appears in a 1492 document from the town of Szeged, which mentions a certain Benedictus Lantos.
In the 16th and 17th centuries, the name Lantos can be found in various regions of Hungary, particularly in the central and eastern parts of the country. Some notable Lantos individuals from this period include Gáspár Lantos (1564-1626), a Hungarian Protestant preacher and writer, and János Lantos (1677-1734), a Catholic priest and author from the town of Eger.
The Lantos surname also appears in several place names and geographical locations throughout Hungary. For example, there is a village called Lantosháza in Bács-Kiskun County, which likely derives its name from the presence of Lantos families in the area.
Outside of Hungary, the Lantos name can be found in various parts of Europe and North America, often as a result of emigration from Hungary. One notable individual with this surname is Tom Lantos (1928-2008), a Hungarian-American politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives for over 25 years.
Other notable individuals with the Lantos surname include Géza Lantos (1908-1993), a Hungarian-American mathematician and computer scientist; János Lantos (1944-1998), a Hungarian football player and manager; and Tamás Lantos (born 1976), a Hungarian singer and actor.
Overall, the Lantos surname has a rich history rooted in Hungary, with connections to the arts, religion, and various professions throughout the centuries. Its origins as an occupational name related to the lute player reflect the cultural and musical traditions of the region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lantos
Among Census respondents with the surname Lantos, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Lantos bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Lantos surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.1% · 133
- Hispanic or Latino4.1% · 6
- Two or more races4.1% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lantos
Lantos appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#123,064
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 140
+19 bearers (+15.7%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 6,555 places
2020
#123,817
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 146
+6 bearers (+4.3%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 753 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #129,619 | 121 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #123,064 | 140 | 0.05 | +19 bearers (+15.7%) | Up 6,555 places |
| 2020 | #123,817 | 146 | 0.05 | +6 bearers (+4.3%) | Down 753 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Lantos surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #123,064 | #123,817 | -0.6% |
| Count | 140 | 146 | 4.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.05 | -2.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lantos bearers went from 140 to 146 (+4.3% change). The surname moved down 753 positions in the national ranking, going from #123,064 to #123,817.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Lantos
FAQ
Lantos surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lantos?
Name Census estimates that about 167 living Americans carry the surname Lantos. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,052,421 residents.
How common is Lantos?
Lantos ranks #123,817 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.05 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 146 people with the surname Lantos. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (167), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.05 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Lantos.
Has Lantos become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lantos went from 140 recorded bearers to 146. That is an increase of 6 (+4.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #123,064 to #123,817.
What does the Census say about the background of Lantos?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lantos, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (4.1%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Lantos in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.1% (133 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lantos appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.1%), Hispanic (4.1%), Two or More Races (4.1%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Lantos (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Lantos mean?
A surname of Hungarian origin meaning from the village of Lantosfalva. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Lantos (0.05 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Lantos?
You can see how many people have the surname Lantos on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.