Leland
An English surname from a place name combining Old English laege, meaning fallow or untilled, with land. It passed into use as a first name in nineteenth-century America.
Leland in 2025
Leland was given to 626 babies in the United States in 2025, making it the 975th most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 5,296 babies born.
The history of Leland
Leland reached its highest point in 2007, when 1,035 babies were given the name, ranking 641st that year. Its best-ever ranking was 388th, in 1921.
Across the 146 years of records since 1880, 58,556 babies have been named Leland. Half of them were born before 1954, which places the name's centre of gravity with the Baby Boomers.
Leland by decade
| Decade | Babies named Leland | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 208 | 691 |
| 1890s | 544 | 564 |
| 1900s | 776 | 520 |
| 1910s | 4,430 | 429 |
| 1920s | 8,085 | 388 |
| 1930s | 6,319 | 419 |
| 1940s | 6,280 | 466 |
| 1950s | 5,267 | 603 |
| 1960s | 3,550 | 839 |
| 1970s | 2,295 | 1,097 |
| 1980s | 2,115 | 1,321 |
| 1990s | 1,905 | 1,338 |
| 2000s | 4,622 | 641 |
| 2010s | 8,365 | 656 |
| 2020s | 3,795 | 850 |
Where Leland is heading
Leland has fallen 28% over the past decade, from 868 babies in 2015 to 626 in 2025.
Names like Leland
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Leland.