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Cleland

♂ Boy

Pronounced KLEE-luhnd /ˈkliː.lənd/Medium

Meaning: Cleland is a Scottish surname pressed into use as a first name. It comes from the lands of Cleland in Lanarkshire, whose name is generally read as 'clay land' or land beside a stream. The Cleland family was long established there, and the name travelled to the United States as both surname and given name.Low

In 30 seconds: Cleland is a Scottish surname-name from a place in Lanarkshire, likely 'clay land.' Rare, it peaked around 1918 (said KLEE-luhnd).

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Origin LowScottish, English

MeaningCleland is a Scottish surname pressed into use as a first name. It comes from the lands of Cleland in Lanarkshire, whose name is generally read as 'clay land' or land beside a stream. The Cleland family was long established there, and the name travelled to the United States as both surname and given name.

U.S. rank (1956)#3262 ↗ Rising

1956 U.S. births7 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)

Peak year1918

Total births (all-time)≈ 246

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Cleland is a Scottish place-and-family name turned given name, from the lands of Cleland in Lanarkshire. The place name is usually explained as 'clay land' or land by a burn. As with many Scottish surnames, it crossed into first-name use in the United States early in the twentieth century, often to honor family heritage.

Cleland was never common in the United States, given to only about twenty boys a year at its faint peak around 1918, in the era when Scottish surnames were quietly fashionable as first names. A man named Cleland then would be past a hundred now.

Did you know? Cleland began as the name of a Scottish estate in Lanarkshire and of the family that held it, before American families adopted it as a first name.

Overall data confidence 45%

References - Cleland — Scottish surname from Cleland, Lanarkshire; 'clay land'

Variations

ClevelandClellandCleeland

Nicknames

ClelLee

Famous Bearers

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If you like Cleland…

Cleveland— a like place-based surname-name

Leland— shares the '-land' ending and feel

Copeland— another Scottish-flavored surname-name

Garland— a similar vintage '-land' boys' name

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Cleland mean?

It is a Scottish place-and-surname from Cleland in Lanarkshire, generally read as 'clay land' or land beside a stream.

How do you pronounce Cleland?

It is said KLEE-luhnd /ˈkliː.lənd/, two syllables with the stress on the first.

Is Cleland a boy or girl name?

Cleland is used here as a boy's name.

How popular is Cleland?

It has always been rare in the United States, given to only about twenty boys a year at its peak in the late nineteen-tens.