MCFADDEN
Recorded variant spellings include Mc Fadden, Mcfadden
McFadden is a surname of Gaelic and Celtic origin, found in the Scottish Highlands, Ireland and the Isle of Man. It is derived from the Gaelic patronymic Mac PhaidÃn, which translates literally as son of little Patrick. The personal name Patrick itself has Latin roots in Patricius, meaning noble or patrician; consequently the surname can be interpreted as son of the noble one or descendant of the patrician.
Over the centuries the spelling of the name has varied widely. Recorded forms include MacFadan, MacFadden, MacFadyen, MacFadzean, MacPhaden, McFadden** and McFfaden. Less frequently the Mac or Mc prefix has been omitted, giving variations such as Faden, Fadon, Fadden, Fadian, Faddian and Vaden. The latter variant is especially common in County Mayo, Ireland, where it has been well documented in civil and church records.
Notable early records of the surname can be traced to the late thirteenth and fifteenth centuries. In 1390 a Conghan Macpaden petitioned for the archdeaconry of Argyll, Scotland, while in 1457 a John McFadyeane is recorded in the city of Edinburgh. Subsequent church registers contain further entries: James McFadden** and his wife Rebeca Dunnaway were married at St. Nicholas Church in Aberdeen, and in Ireland James Fadian**, son of Martin Fadian, was christened at Achill, County Mayo, on 14 July 1866.
According to J. G. Campbell in Clan Traditions and Popular Tales of the Western Highlands and Islands, the clan originally possessed Lochbuie. After their expulsion they became a wandering class of skilled artificers, referred to as sliochdnan, and were especially renowned as goldsmiths.
Today the surname remains common in the British Isles, particularly within the Gaelic-speaking communities of Ireland. Its rich linguistic heritage illustrates the intermingling of Celtic and continental Latin influences that characterise many family names across the region.
Typical given names associated with the McFadden surname
Male
- David
- James
- John
- Joseph
- Michael
- Patrick
- Paul
- Stephen
- Thomas
- William
Female
- Anne
- Catherine
- Christine
- Claire
- Elizabeth
- Karen
- Kathleen
- Linda
- Lisa
- Margaret
- Mary
- Pauline
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname McFadden in...
Braille
⠍⠉⠋⠁⠙⠙⠑⠝
Morse
---.-...-..--..-...-.
Semaphore
There are approximately 3,727 people named McFadden in the UK. That makes it roughly the 2,489th most common surname in Britain. Around 57 in a million people in Britain are named McFadden.
Surname type: From name of parent
Origin: Celtic
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: Ireland
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: Gaelic
Famous people named McFadden
- Joe McFadden - Actor
- Steve McFadden - Actor
- James McFadden - Scottish football player
- Pat McFadden - Politician
- Johnjoe McFadden - Biologist
- Kyle Callan-McFadden - Football player
- Paul McFadden - Scottish football player
- Reece McFadden - Boxer
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.