Dog name guide

Leland

The meaning, background and naming story of Leland.

Letters
6
Syllables
2Dictionary reading
Starts with
L

Meaning and background

The story behind Leland

Leland came into use as a given name through an English surname ultimately derived from a place-name meaning “fallow land”. It retains a strong surname feel while having an established history as a personal name. Leland Stanford, the nineteenth-century American businessman associated with Stanford University, is a well-documented bearer. The place-name etymology is more precise than turning the name into a generic claim about countryside or nature.

Meaning
Underlying English place name: “fallow land”. Source
Origin
English given name adopted from a surname derived from a place name. Source

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About Leland

Recorded as a dog’s name

Leland appears in 4 dog licence records in the 2016 New York City dataset.

How to read this count

These records cover New York City and may count the same dog in more than one licence period. They are not a national popularity ranking.

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Pronunciation and rhythm

/lilənd/

US English sound sequence, converted from the CMU dictionary. Stress marks are shown separately.

Stress on the first syllable in the recorded US readings.

View dictionary notation

/lilənd/ · primary stress on syllable 1
L IY1 L AH0 N D

These are US dictionary readings. Personal, regional and other language pronunciations may differ.

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Sources and research notes (2)
  • New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene NYC Dog Licensing Dataset — all seven available extract years, retrieved 24 October 2026 — Recorded name spellings in NYC licence-period rows, extract years 2016–2018, 2022–2024 and 2026. Evidence selects one stated year per name. Annual snapshots overlap; never sum them as unique dogs. No national popularity, etymology or owner naming-intent claim.
  • Carnegie Mellon University / CMU Sphinx maintainers CMU US English Pronouncing Dictionary — US English dictionary readings; not owner-specific or exhaustive multilingual pronunciation

References support the individual facts shown. A source link does not mean the entire profile has been verified.

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