Names That Mean Land

Name hovering near the bottom of the Top 1000 that may move higher with the fashion for two-syllable surnames. You could do worse...but you probably could also do better.

Also spelled Illtud or Eltut, his was the name of a 6th-century Welsh saint who founded the abbey of Llanilltud in Glamorgan. Illtyd Harrington was a British politician. The Welsh LL is pronounced like a palatalized TH sound in English.

Arlen might be thought of as an update on the midcentury Arlene or as a unisex surname-name. Arlen was given to 22 girls in the US last year vs 57 boys and those numbers may grow with the fashion for n-ending two-syllable surname-names. Another similar possibility for girls: Arden.

Courtlandt, with its added U, is an English form of the Dutch habitational surname Cortlandt. Cortlandt was a village near modern-day Wijk bij Duurstede, Netherlands. Its name was derived from the Dutch elements cort, meaning "short" or "narrow," and landt, "land."

This footwear brand name feels useable for a boy — maybe to honor a Tim or a Kimberly.

This phonetic spelling of a traditional Scottish male name wasn't seen until used by Vince Vaughn for his daughter. As Lachlan becomes more of an established boy's name in the US, more parents are turning to the Locklyn spelling on the girl's side.

Not as popular for girls as Kylie or Kyla, but we prefer its simplicity.

Tiree is the anglicised name of the Scottish island of Tiriodh in the Inner Hebrides. It’s known as Scotland’s "sunshine isle", benefiting from an uncharacteristically warm and sunny climate and beautiful beaches which are popular with surfers and windsurfers. As a given name, Tiree is in rare but regular use in Scotland, England and Wales.

Maryland appeared on the charts as a male name before a female one, but these days it's all girl.

Referring to the ancient region of Nairi and its breathtaking landscape, Nayiri is a gender-neutral name in Armenia.

Laird is a Scottish title for the landed gentry – it ranks just below a Baron – with a pleasantly distinctive Scottish burr that must have appealed to Sharon Stone, who chose it for her son.

Lans is the Dutch variation of the German name Lanzo, which is also the origin of Lance.

Fashion icon and Vogue editor-in-chief Diana Vreeland adds an air of glamour to her distinctive Dutch surname. It would make a striking name for the daughter of a parent in the fashion industry.

Ballet dancer Misty Copeland may draw more parents to consider her surname for a baby girl — which at last count was 29% female.

The Old Irish name for Ireland, now Éire, which is the source of Erin (via its genitive form Éireann "of Ireland"). In Irish mythology, Ériu is the mother goddess of Ireland, whose name may derive from a Proto-Celtic word meaning "full, abundant" – i.e. "land of abundance".

As patriotic as a name can be.

Referring to the ancient region of Nairi and its breathtaking landscape, Nayiri is a gender-neutral name in Armenia.

The name Persia derives from Avestan Parsa, the name of the Indo-European nomadic people who migrated into southern Iran in about 1000 BCE. Persis or Persea, the feminine form of Perseus, feel more namelike.

Tailored English surname that could appeal to parents who like Holland, Harper, and Harley.