Langton

Langton is a name with multiple uses in English-speaking contexts, including as a toponym and as a surname. The surname Langton is of English origin and is typically toponymic, derived from places named Langton. It stems from Old English elements such as lang, meaning long, and tun, meaning enclosure or settlement, describing a long or extended settlement. The name was originally applied to people from a Langton and later spread with migration.

There are several places in England named Langton. In historical records, the name appears in parish and geographic designations, often signifying villages or small communities that once lay along elongated strips of land or along a road. Today, Langton remains a recurring place-name element in various localities.

Langton's ant is a widely studied example in cellular automata and artificial life. Created by Christopher Langton in 1986, Langton's ant operates on a two-dimensional grid of square cells that can be either black or white. An agent moves on the grid, turning and flipping cell colors according to simple rules, and over time can produce complex, emergent patterns. The model is frequently cited in discussions of self-organization, complexity, and how simple rules can yield computationally rich behavior.

As a surname, Langton is borne by individuals in English-speaking countries and among descendants of English emigrants. It remains one of several English toponymic surnames that reflect geographic origin.