At the end of the seventeenth century a Richard ILAND sailed from Belfast to settle in the Carolinas where the name was recorded as EILAND. This spelling has persisted amongst his many descendents, pronounced by most as eye-land (as in my own family), by some as ee-land. Whilst searching for the origin of this family I find increasing evidence that British based ILANDS and EILANDS along with the variants ELAND, ILLAND, ISLAND, EYLAND, ELAUND, AILAND, ILANT, ELANT, AELAND, EALAND (probably the original Anglo Saxon word meaning land surrounded by water) and others I have missed, derive and descend from an ancient and powerful landed family in Western Yorkshire who took their name from the village that is today called Elland (of Calderdale). The family prospered and spread from before the conquest until well into the late Tudor period. This accounts for much of the erratic orthography and the loss of connexion between the farflung families and their origin. There is a small, well written book on the Village Elland including a chapter on the Eland Family by Albert Rinder. (e.mail me for address) There is also a fine web site for the Halifax area in general that gives details on the History of Elland ...
http://www.halifax-today.co.uk/specialfeatures/triviatrail/m...