The Leland surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 4,848 people carried this name — #6,921 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 61,000 people counted. That is up 4% from 4,669 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Leland surname

Shortened from McLeland, McClellan, from Irish Mac Giolla Fhaoláin, "son of servant of (Saint) Faolán (=Little Wolf)".

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Leland» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a local name, from where the family lived: ‘at the lay land’.

An early record he cites: Johannes Leyland, 1379 — Poll Tax, West Riding of Yorkshire.

His entry covers Layland, Leyland and Leland.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 473 · public domain.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

68 families named Leland, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 412 people lived in those households, 6.1 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 5 other spellings. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

Massachusetts 47
Virginia 9
Maine 4
Vermont 3
Pennsylvania 2
Maryland 2
New Hampshire 1

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 250 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Leland in American newspapers,
1890–1916.

Newspaper page from The Daily Chieftain carrying the name Leland
The Daily Chieftain 1900-06-20
Newspaper page from The True Northerner carrying the name Leland
The True Northerner 1916-08-18
Newspaper page from Pittsburg Dispatch carrying the name Leland
Pittsburg Dispatch 1890-02-01

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 5,589 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Leland in Australian newspapers,
1820s–1980s.

3,238 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Leland. The most, 869, date from the 1920s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in Victoria, at 2.2 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Victoria 1,395
New South Wales 673
South Australia 406
Queensland 393
Western Australia 185
Tasmania 124
ACT (Canberra) 24
Northern Territory 5

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Leland.

Who carried it

People named Leland,
with a public archive behind them.

  • John Leland
    John Leland 1502–1552 · librarian
  • Thomas Leland
    Thomas Leland 1722–1785 · historian
  • John Leland
    John Leland 1754–1841 · Baptist minister
  • Aaron Leland
    Aaron Leland 1761–1832 · judge
  • Sherman Leland
    Sherman Leland 1783–1853 · lawyer
  • Rose Leland d. 1915 · actor

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Leland,
in the records of 6 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States517 records

517 records of the Leland name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 159
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 150
  • Other U.S. records 208
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Granden B. Leland

    Born 1917 in New Jersey. Enlisted 1942 at Fort Dix; office clerk. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 2001, buried at BG William C Doyle Veterans Memorial Cemetery, Wrightstown, New Jersey.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Leroy Leland

    Born 1949; from Theodore, Alabama. U.S. Marine Corps, rifleman; killed in action 1968 in Quang Tri, South Vietnam.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Robt Leland

    Arrived at New York in 1866 aboard the Palmyra from Liverpool and Queenstown, aged 37; merchant. From Ireland.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 517 records for Leland in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Norway105 records

105 records of the Leland name in Norway Norway's 1910 census
  1. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Census record Ludvig Leland

    Census of 1910: Leland (plads), Stamnes; fisherman, born 1868 in Stamnes.

    Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO)
  2. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Census record Marie Leland

    Census of 1910: Arendals Kreds, Arendal; maidservant, born 1888 in Grindem.

    Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO)
  3. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Census record Torje Leland

    Census of 1910: Landaas, Nordre Undal; teacher and farmer, born 1874 in Nordre Undal.

    Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO)

Showing 3 of 105 records for Leland in Norway.

Counts: Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

Australia27 records

27 records of the Leland name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 19
  • Tasmanian Names Index 8
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Sarah Ann Leland

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the St Vincent, sailing from London in 1849. Native of Spalding, Lincolnshire.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Neil Leland

    Arrived in Victoria in 1922 aboard the Mantua, aged 22.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Sarah Ann Leland

    Married 1856 in Hobart, Tasmania, aged 21.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 27 records for Leland in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain).

Netherlands22 records

22 records of the Leland name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 11
  • Dutch population registers 7
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 4
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Gesiena Leland

    Died 1844 in Corle, aged 72.

    Open Archives, Gelders Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Wilhelmina Leland

    In the population register of Groenlo; born 1751.

    Open Archives, Erfgoedcentrum Achterhoek en Liemers (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Hendrika Leland

    Died 1815 in Heurne, aged 70.

    Open Archives, Gelders Archief (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 22 records for Leland in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

Canada15 records

15 records of the Leland name in Canada
  • City of Calgary cemetery records 5
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 5
  • Other Canadian records 5
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Nils Knute Leland

    Buried in 1961 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Abraham Leland

    Died 1918 in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  3. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record Kenneth Leland

    Died in service in 1944.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.

Showing 3 of 15 records for Leland in Canada.

Counts: City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0).

France4 records

4 records of the Leland name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Etiennette Anastasie Leland

    Born 1915 in Saint-Joachim; died 1983 in Saint-Nazaire (Loire-Atlantique).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Jean Marie Leland

    Born 1902 in Pluneret; died 1990 in Auray (Morbihan).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  3. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Marie Valentine Leland

    Born 1928 in Pluneret (Morbihan); died 1985 in Caen (Calvados).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Showing 3 of 4 records for Leland in France.

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Leland.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Leland is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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