Surname MacFarland - Meaning and Origin
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MacFarland: What does the surname MacFarland mean?
The surname MacFarland is an Irish patronymic name derived from the Gaelic MacFhearghail. The root of the surname is the Gaelic word meaning 'son of fearghal'. The Fearghal mentioned in this root is said to have been a twelfth-century nobleman from the kingdom of Connacht in western Ireland. The MacFhearghail were a powerful sept of the northern Uí Néill from the Donegal area who descended from Fearghal.
The MacFarlands were some of the first people to settle in western Scotland. Over time, they adopted the Scottish spelling of the name and since then, many variations have spread across the country such as MacFarlane, MacPharland, and Macvarland.
The MacFarland family is considered quite ancient, with a long and distinguished history and a lengthy list of noteworthy members. Sir Robert MacFarlane, a twelfth-century Scottish king, was a notable bearer of the surname. Another bearer of the surname was John MacFarland, a seventeenth-century bishop of Brechin. The most famous MacFarland of the twentieth century was Andrew MacFarland, a US astronaut and first African-American to fly in space.
Given its ancient origin and wide geographic distribution, the MacFarland surname is both unique and distinguished, with its bearers proudly embracing their heritage and immortalizing their family name for generations to come.
Order DNA origin analysisMacFarland: Where does the name MacFarland come from?
The last name MacFarland is most commonly found in the United States today. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2019 MacFarland was the 12,772nd most common surname and the 482nd most common in North America. Reports from this same year show that the surname is most often found in the states of Pennsylvania and New York, with those two states accounting for almost half of all the MacFarland's in the United States.
The earliest known record of the name MacFarland is from 1678 in Dunoon, Scotland. Variant spellings include MacFarlane, McFarland, McParland, and McFarling. The spelling MacFarland seems to have been adopted by descendants that settled in the United States.
Most sources indicate that the name MacFarland is derived from the Scottish Gaelic MacFhaolain, which could mean either "son of Pálán" or "son of a ruler." This is a reference to the Scottish warrior Pálán, who was known by the cognomen MacFhaolain, and the surname may be an acknowledgement of his deeds. Other sources suggest that the name could have derived from the Gaelic MacPharlain, which means "son of farlag," "son of land," or "son of someone living in an angle between two rivers".
Regardless of the origin of the surname, there are now thousands of people living in the United States with the last name MacFarland.
Variations of the surname MacFarland
The surname MacFarland is generally derived from the Gaelic phrase 'Mac Fearlann' which means 'son of Farlan'. It is also associated with the Irish name MacFearlaine and is found as a variant of MacFarlane. Variants of the surname MacFarland include McFarland, MacFarlan, McFarlaine, MacFarlane and MacParland. All of these surnames are of Irish origin and were first found in the County Tyrone of Northern Ireland.
MacFarland is typically the anglicised version of the surname, with the prefix 'Mc' and 'Mac' meaning that it literally translates as 'son of Farlan'. In some cases, the surname may also be of Scottish origin as it was formerly used as a patronymic prefix (in the form of 'Mac' and 'Mc') for a number of different names derived from Gaelic sources.
In Scotland, some of thespellings of the surname that may be encountered include MacFarlane, MacVarlan, McFarlin, MacFarlande, MacFerland, MacFerlane, MacFarlane and MacFerlan. In Ireland, the variants occurring most frequently are MacFarlane and MacParland.
The surname is also common in Northern England, particularly in the Lancashire region where it is spelled as MacPherson and McFarlane. In America, the surname has also been anglicised to MacFarland and MacFarlane. Other spellings can be found in Australia, Canada and New Zealand, as well as other parts of the world where the surname has spread due its emigration history.
Famous people with the name MacFarland
- Lee MacFarland (American soccer player)
- Scott MacFarland (former U.S. Congressman from Virginia)
- Malcolm MacFarland (18th century British naval admiral)
- Stanton MacFarland (American actor)
- Alexandria MacFarland (British actress)
- Noel MacFarland (Irish politician)
- William MacFarland (Scottish archbishop and scholar)
- Dave MacFarland (animator and illustrator)
- Nick MacFarland (Irish-born actor and director)
- Ken MacFarland (Canadian racing driver)
- Hope MacFarland (American politician)
- Patricia MacFarland (American journalist and author)
- Dennis MacFarland (WWII U.S. Army Air Force ace)
- Edmond MacFarland (American actor and vaudevillian)
- Tony MacFarland (baseball player for the Philadelphia Athletics)