I was just wondering… What does everyone think of the name Zealand? I came up with it a few years back while putting some books back on a shelf at the library and seeing a book on [name]New[/name] Zealand. With kids named [name]Paris[/name] and [name]London[/name] and [name]America[/name]… Why not?! I love love love the nn Zealy, Zeal and [name]Zea[/name]. I’m just concerned that people will hear it and think it is really weird, or that family will be shocked by it or kids will tease him. We have absolutely no ties to [name]New[/name] Zealand. [name]Just[/name] love how Zealand sounds. [name]Do[/name] you think it could fit a baby, a little boy, a teenager, an adult? Or does it just sound like trouble? I am totally in love with it! I just need the assurance that it is ok to use!
I think… it is a country and an island. It may not help that I dislike almost all place names 
I can almost understand why someone would want to use [name]Paris[/name], [name]Vienna[/name], [name]London[/name] etc because they sound like they could be names, but when it comes to place names with -land at the end, I despair. Perhaps if you had a strong link to the country it would make a cute middle name but otherwise, yes, it is trouble. I’m having issues trying to see it as a name let alone seeing it fit a boy of different ages! I reckon that if you really love it and have to use it, you should leave it in the middle spot.
Aw that kind of makes me sad… I’ve heard so many people that really love it! Any other opinions?
This. Totally.
I love Zealand but I always liked it for a girl better.
[name]How[/name] about [name]Leland[/name]? It has similar sound, but it is an actual name.
I find that names of countries don’t make great first names. A lot of them seem strange. The names of cities or regions seem to work better.
I don’t think Zeal would make a great nickname.
I don’t like it. I don’t overly dislike place names, there are some that I really love i.e [name]Caledonia[/name], which I absolutely adore, but I just don’t think Zealand works. I agree with people that have said that it is the -land ending, it just makes it seem so much not like a name.
I like the sound of it to be honest. But I just don’t think its that usable.
Zealan sounds similar but I’m not sure if that would be usable either. [name]Leland[/name] is a good suggestion, it sounds v. similar! 
This.
That may be true but that isn’t the case for Zealand. Zealand means “sea-land” and wasn’t named after any person.
I like it and think it’s a great, beachy boy name. I don’t even think of [name]New[/name] Zealand when I hear it. Zeal or Z are my favorite nn’s. I’ve seen Zealand on another site, so people are using it. It’s closeness to [name]Leland[/name] makes it very usable so it’s not an out-there sound, like [name]Portland[/name] or [name]Ireland[/name]. An alternative is Sealand but I prefer Zealand