Surname McFarland - Meaning and Origin

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McFarland: What does the surname McFarland mean?

The last name McFarland is of Scottish origin and comes from various place names in Scotland. The base of the name is the Gaelic Mac Pharlain, which is composed of the elements "mac," meaning "son of," and "Pharlain" which is an Anglicization of the Gaelic personal name Parthalan. The Parthalan name is derived from the name of a mythical ancestor, possibly of the same name as the semi-mythical Irish King Partholon who is supposed to have arrived in Ireland long before the Celts.

The McFarland surname has spread to many other parts of the world and can be seen as quite common in both the United States and Canada. The spelling of the name can vary and can include McFarlin, McFarland, Mcfarlane and McFarlan.

The meaning of the name McFarland is “son of Parthalan”, with Parthalan being a mythical ancestor. The name symbolizes strong roots, courage and loyalty, which is reflective of the hard working families that hold the name today. McFarland is often seen as associated with a strong sense of family and heritage as well as a strong ancestry. This reflects the importance of family ties, honoring the hard work of one’s ancestors, and a belief in fair play and justice.

McFarland: Where does the name McFarland come from?

The last name McFarland is a fairly common last name, found in many countries around the world. It is most common in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Australia.

In the U.S., McFarland is most prevalent in California, followed closely by Texas, Florida, Massachusetts, and North Carolina. It is also common in Louisiana, Georgia, South Carolina, and Illinois.

In Canada, McFarland is most common in Ontario, with an estimated 29,516 occurrences recorded in the 2011 census.

In the UK, the McFarland surname can be found all over Great Britain. Some common hotspots include London, Manchester, Glasgow, Belfast, and Birmingham.

The McFarland surname is also common in Ireland, primarily in Dublin, Cork, and Galway.

In Australia, the McFarland surname is quite popular in the state of New South Wales, with an estimated 44,260 occurrences in the 2016 census. It is also common in Queensland, Victoria, and Western Australia.

Overall, the McFarland surname can be found in many countries around the world. Although it is most common in the U.S., Canada, the UK, Ireland, and Australia, it can also be found in France, Germany, New Zealand, and other countries.

Variations of the surname McFarland

The surname McFarland is a common Irish and Scottish name derived from Gaelic origins. Variants of the surname include MacFarlane, Macfarland, McCarlan, McFarrell, MacPharlane and McFarlan.

In Ireland, the surname is found most commonly in the provinces of Connacht (including County Mayo and Sligo counties) and counties in Ulster (including Donegal and Tyrone). It is an anglicized form of Mac Phárlain, or McFarlan, which in turn is derived from the Gaelic Mac Phárlaím and means “son of Parlan” or “son of Farlane”.

The name was also found in Scotland as early as the 1400s. The spelling McPharlan was found most commonly in obtaining Scottish records, while McFarlane and the hyphenated Mc-Farlane arose in the 1700s, and Macfarland and McFarland in the 1800s. As a result of this spelling evolution, the name can also be spelled as McFarlan, Mc-Farlane,McFarlane, McLarlan, Macfarlan, Macfarlane, Macfarlan, Macfarland andMacFarlane.

The given name Farlan (and Phárlaím in the Irish spelling) is a Gaelicised form of the French names Paul or Parlan. The name itself may be derived from the Latin name “Paulus”, meaning “small”.

Variations in the spelling of the name likely arose from simplified spellings of the original spelling of “McPharlan” or “McFarlan” in documents including birth and marriage registers, census returns and land deeds. Despite the many spelling variations, the origin of the name has not changed and is a derivative of the old Gaelic or Latin name.

Famous people with the name McFarland

• Shep McFarland, American Water Skiing Hall-of-Fame Inductee
• Brendan McFarland, Canadian marathon runner
• Joellyn McFarland, American football coach
• Kirk McFarland, American politician
• Shane McFarland, American politician
• Alex McFarland, American Christian apologist
• Adrian McFarland, American football player
• John McFarland, Canadian ice hockey player
• Dave McFarland, American ice hockey player
• Bob McFarland, American soccer player
• Kyle McFarland, Canadian Paralympic snowboarder
• Abigail McFarland, American actress
• Laurel McFarland, American swimmer
• Chris McFarland, British actor
• Guy McFarland, American artist
• Nicholas McFarland, American theatre producer
• Glen McFarland, Canadian ice hockey player
• Tracy McFarland, American music producer
• Robert McFarland, American author
• Rande McFarland, American basketball official

Other surnames

McFarlainMcFarlanMcFarlane