MCFARLAND
Recorded variant spellings include Mc Farland, Mcfarland
McFarland is a surname of ancient Celtic origin, situated within the Gaelic linguistic tradition of the British Isles. The name is first attributed to the Gaelic patronymic Mac Pharlain, which translates as son of Parlan. Here Parlan is a diminutive form of the personal name Partholon, a name preserved in early Scottish and Irish genealogical records.
In the centuries that followed, the spelling of the name underwent substantial variation, reflecting changes in orthographic practice and the influence of regional dialects. Recorded forms include MacFarlane, McFarlane, MacFarlan, McFarlan, MacFarland, MacFarlin, McParland and McParlin. These orthographic differences are demonstrably linked to the same underlying patronymic, and several provincial registers show the same family adopting different spellings at different times.
The earliest documentary glimpse of the surname appears in the late thirteenth century. A charter witness named Malcolm McPharlane is recorded in 1385, during the reign of King Robert I of Scotland (1371–1390). This early mention confirms the name’s status as a hereditary family designation rather than a mere descriptive nickname.
The name's prominence is further illustrated by Andrew McFarlane, who in 1577 was elected a Burgess of Glasgow, a civic title that indicated substantial social standing within the urban community. Subsequent parish registers provide further evidence of the name’s maintenance over time: the 1653 marriage of Dugall McFarlane to Helena Wallace on the 15th of June in Cannongate, Edinburgh; and the 1730 birth of Alexander McFarlan on the 3rd of September in Edinburgh.
Scholars have considered several etymological pathways for the name. One common explanation is that Parlan derives from the biblical name Bartholomew, which entered Europe following the Crusades in the twelfth century. Consequently, some historians propose that the name’s ultimate root lies in the restive period of crusading crusader returns. An alternative hypothesis, accepted by a minority, suggests a pre‑eighth‑century Viking origin, with a meaning that could translate as ‘Sea‑Wave’. Both explanations are presented in the literature, but neither can be asserted with absolute certainty; the prevailing consensus remains the patronymic interpretation linked to a personal ancestor named Parlan or Partholon.
The evolution of spelling over the early modern period demonstrates the fluidity of surname orthography. Recorded forms such as Makfarlande (1546), M'Farlen (1603) and MacPharline (1610) illustrate the transformation from a fixed Gaelic origin to variations accepted in the Scottish and Irish civil records. This process is typical of surnames in the British Isles, where differences in local dialects, clerical practices and the gradual anglicising of Gaelic terms produced a wide array of spellings from a single root name.
Typical given names associated with the McFarland surname
Male
- Andrew
- David
- Ian
- James
- John
- Michael
- Robert
- Stephen
- Thomas
- William
Female
- Alison
- Claire
- Clare
- Diane
- Elizabeth
- Emma
- Gillian
- Karen
- Margaret
- Mary
- Sarah
- Sharon
- 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 McFarland in...
Braille
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Morse
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There are approximately 1,414 people named McFarland in the UK. That makes it roughly the 5,633rd most common surname in Britain. Around 22 in a million people in Britain are named McFarland.
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 McFarland
- Billy McFarland - American convicted fraudster
- Booger McFarland - Player of American football
- Roy McFarland - Football player; football manager
- Alan McFarland - Northern Irish politician
- Dan McFarland -
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.