Lantz
Masculine
Lantz is a German surname made into a first name, a single strong syllable. The same surname belongs to the animator who gave the world Woody Woodpecker.
How old is the name Lantz?
Lantz first appears in US birth records in 1948 — 77 years ago. The typical Lantz alive today was born around 1991, making them about 34 years old. About 500 people named Lantz are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Lantz most popular?
Lantz peaked in 1970, reaching #2293 nationally. See the whole 1970 chart.
Lists built from the same records:
Where it comes from
Origin, sound and short forms
Our story of Lantz
Walter Lantz ran one of the great Hollywood animation studios, and he often told how a woodpecker drumming on the roof of his honeymoon cabin gave him the idea for Woody Woodpecker, whose laugh became one of the most famous sounds in cartoons. Lantz as an American boy's name most likely came from the German surname in the family. It is short and firm, and it carries a small echo of a cartoon laugh.
Meaningnot established
Not established
Lantz is a German surname, likely from a short form of an old personal name such as Landolf, but its origin is not settled, and no record explains its use as a first name.
Pronouncing Lantz
LANTS
One syllable.
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1948
- Most boys named
- 199318 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #2293reached in 1970
- Change vs 2019
- 0.0%5 in 2020, from 5
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Lantzs among us
people named Lantz are estimated to be alive in the US today
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
Questions parents actually ask
Fashion outlook
Lantz sits outside the current charts, and that is its own kind of answer: naming cycles can only date the names they carried up. A name this rare has no decade stamped on it — it cannot go out of fashion, because it was never in.
Based on 146 years of naming cycles. How we read them
The trade-off
- It is short and distinctive.
- It is almost certainly unique among the people he will meet.
- People will take it for a surname first.
- There is no recorded meaning to give when someone asks.
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What they receive
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Lantz
Masculine
Frequently asked
- How many Lantzs are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 500 people named Lantz are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Lantz in 2025?
- Lantz is rarely given in the US today — it does not rank in the top 2000 boy names.
- Will my child share the name Lantz with classmates?
- Lantz will almost certainly be the only one in school.
More L names
The most-given names starting with L, all years combined.
Larry#1084 · Lawrence#518 · Louis#249 · Logan#53 · Liam#1 · Lucas#10 · Luke#33 · Leonard#637
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Lantz? See the current top 100.
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US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
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