Leland as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Leland

What is the meaning of the name Leland ?

The baby name Leland is a Male name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈliːlənd/ (LEE-land).

Leland is English in Origin.

Leland is an English surname-turned-given name from the Lancashire place-name Leyland, built from Old English leah “wood, meadow, clearing” and land “territory.” It thus denotes “meadow land,” “cleared land,” or “fallow land,” and by extension “one from the meadowlands.” Common variants and spellings include Leyland, Leeland, Leiland, and Lelan; Lee serves as a familiar short form.

Used as a first name in the United States since the 19th century, Leland rode the vogue for surnames as given names and enjoyed particular visibility in the early 1900s, aided by railroad magnate and California governor Leland Stanford. It waned mid-century but has seen a modest modern revival, appreciated for its vintage polish and pastoral undertone. The name appears in culture through figures like bassist Leland Sklar and the Twin Peaks character Leland Palmer. While predominantly masculine, it is occasionally used unisex.