2000
#15,861
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,684
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.62
Rare Last name
Lengyel
A surname derived from the Hungarian word for "Polish".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,829 Americans carry the last name Lengyel. That puts it at #17,328 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.53 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 187,400 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lengyel 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Lengyel with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
1.8K
1 in 187,400
Census rank
#17,328
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,595 bearers of the surname Lengyel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.53 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 17328th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lengyel, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lengyel
The surname LENGYEL originated in Hungary, dating back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Hungarian word "lengyel," which means "Polish" or "from Poland." This suggests that the name was initially given to individuals who had connections with Poland or were of Polish descent.
LENGYEL is considered a locational surname, indicating that the bearer or their ancestors came from a place associated with Poland or Poles. It is possible that the name was bestowed upon those who settled in Hungary after migrating from Poland or had close ties with Polish communities.
Historically, surnames derived from locations were common practice, as they helped identify an individual's place of origin or residence. The LENGYEL surname may have appeared in early Hungarian records or documents, although specific references are scarce due to the limited availability of historical documents from that period.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the LENGYEL surname can be found in the 15th century, when a nobleman named János Lengyel was mentioned in Hungarian chronicles. He was a prominent figure in the court of King Matthias Corvinus and played a significant role in diplomatic relations between Hungary and Poland.
Another notable bearer of the LENGYEL surname was Gáspár Lengyel, a 16th-century Hungarian writer and translator. He was responsible for translating several important works into Hungarian, including religious texts and literary pieces.
In the 18th century, József Lengyel was a renowned Hungarian mathematician and astronomer. He made significant contributions to the fields of celestial mechanics and the calculation of planetary orbits. His work was highly regarded and influential during his time.
The 19th century saw the rise of Menyhért Lengyel, a Hungarian composer and music teacher. He was known for his compositions for piano and chamber ensembles, as well as his contributions to music education in Hungary.
Lastly, Béla Lengyel was a 20th-century Hungarian filmmaker and screenwriter. He gained recognition for his work in the Hungarian film industry and collaborated on several notable productions during the Golden Age of Hungarian cinema.
While these are just a few examples, the LENGYEL surname has a rich history and has been associated with various notable figures throughout the centuries in Hungary and beyond.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lengyel
Among Census respondents with the surname Lengyel, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Lengyel 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 Lengyel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.6% · 1,493
- Hispanic or Latino4.0% · 64
- Two or more races1.8% · 28
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 9
- Black or African American0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lengyel
Lengyel 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
#16,761
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,705
+21 bearers (+1.2%)
Per 100,000 0.58
Rank movement Down 900 places
2020
#17,328
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,595
-110 bearers (-6.5%)
Per 100,000 0.53
Rank movement Down 567 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #15,861 | 1,684 | 0.62 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #16,761 | 1,705 | 0.58 | +21 bearers (+1.2%) | Down 900 places |
| 2020 | #17,328 | 1,595 | 0.53 | -110 bearers (-6.5%) | Down 567 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 Lengyel 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 | #16,761 | #17,328 | -3.4% |
| Count | 1,705 | 1,595 | -6.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.58 | 0.53 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lengyel bearers went from 1,705 to 1,595 (-6.5% change). The surname moved down 567 positions in the national ranking, going from #16,761 to #17,328.
FAQ
Lengyel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lengyel?
Name Census estimates that about 1,829 living Americans carry the surname Lengyel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 187,400 residents.
How common is Lengyel?
Lengyel ranks #17,328 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.53 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,595 people with the surname Lengyel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,829), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.53 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.53 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Lengyel.
Has Lengyel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lengyel went from 1,705 recorded bearers to 1,595. That is a decrease of 110 (-6.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #16,761 to #17,328.
What does the Census say about the background of Lengyel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lengyel, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Lengyel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.6% (1,493 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lengyel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.6%), Hispanic (4.0%), Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Lengyel (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 Lengyel mean?
A surname derived from the Hungarian word for "Polish". 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 Lengyel (0.53 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 many people share the surname Lengyel?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.