Harland

Harland - A very unique male name

Harland appeared on the charts for the first time in 1913 on position #564. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Harland and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Harland? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Harland. The baby boy name Harland was given to 20 baby boys in 2025, ranking #2433 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 73,314 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Harland peaked in popularity 108 years ago in 1918 on position 503.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Harland, 1-5?

Harland is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Harland is currently topping the baby name charts in Missouri at position #912 - and is the least popular in Texas at position #2,713.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Harland is where you live.

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Harland origin and meaning

English surname

Uncertain — a transferred English surname; proposed Old English derivations (such as 'hare land' or 'grey land') are not securely established

Harland is an English place surname carried into first-name use in the early 1900s, peaking in 1924. Its most famous bearer is built into American food history: Colonel Harland Sanders, founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken. After long stretches mostly out of the data, it has reappeared at low levels in the 2020s.

Origin uncertain

Harland is a 7 letter name with 2 syllables.

To see famous people named Harland, pop culture references for the name Harland and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Harland

We've found the following names that sound similar to Harland, sorted by popularity.

Harlan / Harlem / Harlen / Harlon / Harlin / Haralambos / Harlyn /

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Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Harland

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Harland a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Harland?

2 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

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Pronunciation

HAR-lund · /ˈhɑːrlənd/

Around the world

No traditional forms in other languages — this name was created in America in our own time.

Spellings and nicknames

• Harlan — The more common spelling of the same surname name
• Harlen — A streamlined form

Famous bearers

• Harland Sanders — Founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken, known worldwide as Colonel Sanders (1890–1980) Historical

Style

SurnameVintage revival

Why parents choose it

Harland is a sturdy, old-fashioned surname name with an unmistakable fried-chicken namesake — folksy rather than formal.

Worth knowing

• The Colonel Sanders association is immediate and permanent
• Harlan is the spelling most people will assume