United States railroad executive and founder of Stanford University (1824-1893)
"The lecture hall was named in honor of Leland Stanford, the railroad magnate who founded the university."
a university in California
"She plans to pursue her degree at Stanford, the prestigious university located in California."
A habitational surname, from Old English​.
"The Stanford family has lived in that village since their ancestors adopted the name as a habitation surname centuries ago."
Stanford is derived from the Old English words for "stone" and "ford," referring to a shallow place in a river where one could cross on foot. The name of the famous university comes not from this meaning, but rather honors John D. Rockefeller's contemporary, Leland Stanford, who was a railroad magnate.