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Home › Baby Names Directory › Harland

Harland

♂ Boy

Pronounced HAHR-luhnd /ˈhɑɹ.lənd/Medium

Meaning: Hare landMedium

In 30 seconds: Harland is an English name meaning 'hare land'.
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Origin MediumEnglish
MeaningHare land
U.S. rank (2024)#2601 ↗ Rising
2024 U.S. births51 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)
Peak year1922
Total births (all-time)≈ 5,740

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 192218822024

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

Harland comes from English place-name elements meaning 'hare land' — ground where hares were found. It began as a description of a location, passed into use as a surname, and later became a given name. The most famous bearer is Harland Sanders, the KFC founder better known as Colonel Sanders.

The sturdy two-syllable sound has a rural, old-country feel that matches its meaning. Its surname history is what gives it that established, family-name weight.

Did you know? Harland likely reached first-name use through a surname or place-name route, which gives it that modern borrowed-from-history feel.
Overall data confidence 78%
Behind the Name - Harland — etymology, usage, pronunciation, and related formsU.S. Social Security Administration — 2024 popularity rank and count supplied in the batch input CSV

Variations

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Nicknames

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Famous Bearers

  • ★Harland Sanders (1890–1980)
    American businessman, founder of KFC (Colonel Sanders).

If you like Harland…

Harlan— The trimmed spelling of Harland, the same name without the final d.
Holland— An English place-derived name ending in -land, sharing Harland's geographic surname roots.
Oakland— another English name
Zealand— lands in the same popularity range
Leeland— another English name

Explore names like Harland

By themeenglishnaturesurname-style

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Harland mean?

Harland is usually explained as meaning 'hare land' and is most often linked with English tradition.

How do you pronounce Harland?

It's commonly said HAHR-luhnd /ˈhɑɹ.lənd/.

Is Harland a boy or girl name?

In this batch and in recent U.S. usage data, Harland is used as a boy name.

How popular is Harland?

In 2024, Harland ranked #2601 in the U.S. for boys, with 51 births recorded.

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