Leland Boy

Popularity: #448 · Trend: ↘ Falling

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: LEE-land /ˈliː.lənd/

Origin: English; Welsh

Meaning: English: meadow land; Welsh: from the land of the leal

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Leland has its roots in Old English, derived from the elements "lea," meaning "meadow" or "clearing," and "land," which translates to "land" or "ground." This combination suggests a meaning akin to "land in the meadow" or "meadow land." The name evolved through various forms, with early instances appearing in medieval England, where it was likely used as a surname before transitioning into a given name. The surname Leland can be traced back to the 13th century, associated with several notable figures, including John Leland, an English antiquary and poet from the 16th century, who contributed to the preservation of English history and literature.

Historically, the name gained prominence through its association with the Leland family, who were landowners in England. The name appears in various historical documents and literature, including the works of Geoffrey Chaucer in the 14th century, where it is mentioned in the context of English nobility.

The name's significance was further solidified during the Renaissance period, as the revival of interest in classical learning and literature brought attention to names with historical roots. Culturally, Leland has been associated with pastoral imagery, evoking a sense of tranquility and connection to the land.

This connection to nature and the countryside has contributed to its appeal in various literary and artistic contexts. Additionally, the name has a diminutive form, Lee, which has been used historically but is less frequently noted in the context of Leland's etymology.

Overall, the name Leland carries with it a rich historical and cultural significance, rooted in the landscape of medieval England.

Famous people named Leland

In this section, you will find notable people named Leland. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Leland who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Leland who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.

Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.

Leland Melvin is an astronaut and engineer best known for his missions on the Space Shuttle Atlantis and Discovery, and for his work with NASA.

Leland Orser is an actor best known for his roles in ER, Taken, and Alien: Resurrection.

Fictional characters named Leland

The following list of fictional characters named Leland is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.

You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.

Leland Gaunt is a fictional character from the novel Needful Things by Stephen King. He is a mysterious shopkeeper who manipulates the residents of a small town to create chaos and conflict.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Leland, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

LiamLeoLucaLoganLandonLorenzo

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Leland. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.

LemuelLeviLyleLorenLanceLazaroLuther

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Leland was first seen in the United States in 1880.

Leland has ranked as high as #641 nationally, which occurred in 2007, and has been most popular in California, Texas, Illinois, New York, and Ohio.

In the past 5 years the name Leland has been trending down compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Leland is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Leland was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Leland.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 626 612 14
2024 564 546 18
2023 584 568 16
2022 630 609 21
2021 739 721 18
2020 652 635 17
2019 756 743 13
2018 758 747 11
2017 828 817 11
2016 771 758 13
2015 868 857 11
2014 769 759 10
2013 781 774 7
2012 905 897 8
2011 958 950 8
2010 971 964 7
2009 905 895 10
2008 731 726 5
2007 1,035 1,029 6
2006 919 903 16
2005 380 371 9
2004 120 110 10
2003 136 129 7
2002 141 134 7
2001 114 107 7
2000 141 136 5
1999 129 129 0
1998 140 140 0
1997 167 167 0
1996 144 144 0
1995 181 175 6
1994 165 165 0
1993 209 204 5
1992 226 221 5
1991 267 267 0
1990 277 272 5
1989 263 263 0
1988 250 250 0
1987 214 214 0
1986 202 196 6
1985 166 166 0
1984 203 203 0
1983 209 209 0
1982 188 182 6
1981 211 211 0
1980 209 209 0
1979 207 207 0
1978 231 231 0
1977 213 207 6
1976 206 206 0
1975 208 203 5
1974 221 221 0
1973 241 241 0
1972 253 253 0
1971 247 247 0
1970 268 268 0
1969 290 285 5
1968 253 253 0
1967 314 314 0
1966 344 338 6
1965 358 358 0
1964 397 397 0
1963 360 360 0
1962 391 385 6
1961 429 429 0
1960 414 409 5
1959 431 431 0
1958 468 462 6
1957 480 480 0
1956 516 516 0
1955 569 564 5
1954 514 514 0
1953 536 536 0
1952 603 603 0
1951 591 591 0
1950 559 559 0
1949 633 633 0
1948 672 672 0
1947 656 656 0
1946 569 569 0
1945 540 540 0
1944 596 596 0
1943 690 676 14
1942 680 675 5
1941 636 636 0
1940 608 608 0
1939 570 570 0
1938 585 585 0
1937 555 555 0
1936 596 596 0
1935 629 623 6
1934 674 665 9
1933 650 645 5
1932 643 638 5
1931 701 694 7
1930 716 706 10
1929 762 762 0
1928 805 789 16
1927 823 823 0
1926 776 776 0
1925 858 858 0
1924 780 775 5
1923 822 807 15
1922 777 767 10
1921 876 866 10
1920 806 799 7
1919 675 668 7
1918 696 691 5
1917 627 627 0
1916 578 571 7
1915 604 597 7
1914 422 413 9
1913 344 338 6
1912 260 252 8
1911 127 127 0
1910 97 97 0
1909 90 90 0
1908 78 78 0
1907 91 86 5
1906 99 99 0
1905 72 66 6
1904 69 69 0
1903 75 75 0
1902 58 58 0
1901 68 68 0
1900 76 76 0
1899 62 62 0
1898 50 50 0
1897 64 59 5
1896 61 61 0
1895 54 54 0
1894 55 55 0
1893 60 60 0
1892 57 57 0
1891 36 36 0
1890 45 45 0
1889 29 29 0
1888 37 37 0
1887 20 20 0
1886 27 27 0
1885 23 23 0
1884 20 14 6
1883 21 21 0
1882 13 13 0
1881 9 9 0
1880 9 9 0

Top States for Leland (2024)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
MI 51
10%
CA 39
8%
OH 34
7%
TX 25
5%
GA 23
4%
IN 20
4%
FL 19
4%
NY 19
4%
PA 19
4%
NC 18
4%
MO 17
3%
CO 16
3%
TN 14
3%
UT 14
3%
IL 14
3%
KY 14
3%
MN 13
3%
WA 13
3%
SC 12
2%
WI 11
2%
VA 10
2%
AL 9
2%
MD 8
2%
OK 8
2%
AZ 8
2%
MS 8
2%
NM 7
1%
IA 7
1%
OR 7
1%
LA 6
1%
NE 6
1%
MA 6
1%
ID 6
1%
WV 6
1%
KS 5
1%