Kelland
A Scottish masculine name derived from a place name meaning "calf lands".
Name Census estimates that about 6 living Americans carry the first name Kelland. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Kelland today is around 22 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kelland births was 2004 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kelland. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Kelland with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Kelland. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
6
~ 1 in 57,125,723 Americans
Peak year
2004
6 babies that year
Average age
22
years old
2004 SSA rank
#10,697
Tracked since 2004
Popularity
Kelland: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Kelland by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Kelland during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 6 | 0 | 6 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Kelland
The given name Kelland has its origins in the Scottish Gaelic language, primarily found in the Scottish Highlands and Hebrides Islands. The name is derived from the Gaelic words "ceall" meaning "church" and "land" meaning "land" or "territory," suggesting a connection to church lands or property.
Historically, the name Kelland was commonly used in Scotland during the Middle Ages, particularly among families with ties to the Scottish clan system or those associated with religious institutions. It is believed to have first appeared in written records as early as the 12th century, although its exact origins remain uncertain.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kelland can be found in the Ragman Rolls, a collection of homage rolls from Scottish nobles and landowners to King Edward I of England in the late 13th century. In these rolls, several individuals bearing the name Kelland are mentioned, indicating its use among the Scottish nobility at the time.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Kelland. One of the earliest recorded was Sir Kelland de Inverkeithing (c. 1250-1320), a Scottish knight and landowner from Fife. Another was Kelland Guthrie (c. 1380-1445), a Scottish clergyman who served as the Bishop of Dunkeld in the early 15th century.
In the 16th century, Kelland Douglas (c. 1510-1575) was a prominent Scottish lawyer and judge who served as the Lord Provost of Edinburgh. A century later, Kelland Ramsay (1670-1732) was a Scottish philosopher and writer known for his works on theology and natural philosophy.
Moving into the 19th century, Kelland Phillip Courtney (1805-1892) was a British army officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars and the Crimean War. He is remembered for his bravery and leadership during these conflicts.
These examples highlight the historical use of the name Kelland across different periods and contexts, from nobility and clergy to military and academic circles, showcasing its enduring presence in Scottish and British history.
People
Kelland + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kelland as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with K
Other first names starting with K with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Kelland: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kelland?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 6 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kelland going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 57,125,723 US residents.
Is Kelland a common name?
We classify Kelland as "Very Rare". It ranks above 22.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 6 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kelland most popular?
The single biggest year for Kelland was 2004, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kelland is about 22 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Kelland in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Kelland a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Kelland in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Kelland still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Kelland in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Kelland can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have the name Kelland?
See how many Americans are named Kelland on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.