2000
#6,671
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,669
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.73
Rare Last name
Leland
From an English place name, likely referring to a meadow or unseeded land.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,211 Americans carry the last name Leland. That puts it at #7,102 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.52 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 65,775 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Leland surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
5.2K
1 in 65,775
Census rank
#7,102
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,544 bearers of the surname Leland in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.52 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7102nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Leland, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.9%. The next largest groups are Black (8.2%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Leland
The surname Leland originates from England and is derived from the Old English phrase "lēah land," which translates to "meadow land" or "fallow land." This name was initially used to identify individuals who resided in areas characterized by meadows or fallow fields.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Leland can be traced back to the 13th century. One notable mention is found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where the name is listed as "de Lelande." This record suggests that the name was initially used as a locative surname, indicating the place of origin or residence of the individual.
In the 14th century, the Leland surname appeared in various historical documents, including the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, where it was spelled as "Leylond." This variation in spelling was common during that era due to the lack of standardized orthography.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Leland was John Leland, an influential English poet and antiquarian born in 1506. He is renowned for his extensive travels throughout England, during which he studied and documented various historical sites and manuscripts.
Another notable figure associated with the surname was Charles Godfrey Leland, an American humorist, and folklorist born in 1824. He is best known for his contributions to the study of American folklore and his work in preserving the heritage of the Pennsylvania Dutch community.
In the 16th century, the Leland surname was linked to several place names in England, such as Leland in Gloucestershire and Leland in Yorkshire. These place names likely influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname over time.
Throughout history, the Leland surname has been associated with various notable individuals, including:
1. Thomas Leland (1722-1785), an American lawyer and politician who served as a delegate to the Continental Congress.
2. John Leland (1754-1841), an influential American Baptist minister and advocate for the separation of church and state.
3. Leland Stanford (1824-1893), an American industrialist and politician who co-founded Stanford University.
4. Leland Ossian Howard (1857-1950), an American entomologist and pioneer in the field of economic entomology.
5. Leland Stanford Jr. (1868-1884), the son of Leland Stanford, whose untimely death at age 15 prompted his parents to establish Stanford University in his memory.
While the Leland surname has its roots in England, it has since spread to various parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, and Australia, through migration and immigration patterns over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Leland
Among Census respondents with the surname Leland, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.9%. The next largest groups are Black (8.2%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Leland bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Leland surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.9% · 3,811
- Black or African American8.2% · 371
- Two or more races3.6% · 164
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 136
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 40
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 22
Timeline
Historical Census data for Leland
Leland appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#6,921
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,848
+179 bearers (+3.8%)
Per 100,000 1.64
Rank movement Down 250 places
2020
#7,102
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,544
-304 bearers (-6.3%)
Per 100,000 1.52
Rank movement Down 181 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,671 | 4,669 | 1.73 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,921 | 4,848 | 1.64 | +179 bearers (+3.8%) | Down 250 places |
| 2020 | #7,102 | 4,544 | 1.52 | -304 bearers (-6.3%) | Down 181 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Leland surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #6,921 | #7,102 | -2.6% |
| Count | 4,848 | 4,544 | -6.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.64 | 1.52 | -7.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Leland bearers went from 4,848 to 4,544 (-6.3% change). The surname moved down 181 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,921 to #7,102.
FAQ
Leland surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Leland?
Name Census estimates that about 5,211 living Americans carry the surname Leland. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 65,775 residents.
How common is Leland?
Leland ranks #7,102 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.52 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,544 people with the surname Leland. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,211), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.52 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.52 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Leland.
Has Leland become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Leland went from 4,848 recorded bearers to 4,544. That is a decrease of 304 (-6.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,921 to #7,102.
What does the Census say about the background of Leland?
Among Census respondents with the surname Leland, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.9%. The next largest groups are Black (8.2%) and Two or More Races (3.6%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Leland in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.9% (3,811 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Leland appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.9%), Black (8.2%), Two or More Races (3.6%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Leland (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Leland mean?
From an English place name, likely referring to a meadow or unseeded land. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Leland (1.52 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Leland?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.