Surname McFaul - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'M'
McFaul: What does the surname McFaul mean?
The surname McFaul originates from Scotland and Ireland. It is derived from the Gaelic name "Mac Phail", composed of elements "Mac" meaning "son of" and "Phail" derived from "Paul". The name Paul itself is rooted in the Roman family name 'Paulus', meaning 'small' or 'humble' in Latin. Therefore, McFaul can be translated as "son of Paul". Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation and thus, surnames like McFaul were created to differentiate between different individuals with the same first name. It's worth noting that spellings of surnames have often changed over centuries. Therefore, McFaul has several variations including McPhail, MacPhail, and McFall. Each of these surnames has unique histories and distribution patterns.
Order DNA origin analysisMcFaul: Where does the name McFaul come from?
The surname McFaul is of Irish origin, originating from the Gaelic personal name "Mac Phail", meaning "son of Paul". It was first found in County Antrim, located in Northern Ireland, where they held a family seat from ancient times. In the Gaelic language, the surname is often rendered as "Mac Phóil".
Over time, many Irish families emigrated to different parts of the world due to the Great Famine and other circumstances. Today, the surname McFaul is most common in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, although it can be found in many other countries as well. Within the United States, it's notably prevalent in states such as California, Washington, and Massachusetts. Despite its geographical dispersion, McFaul remains a relatively rare surname.
Variations of the surname McFaul
The surname McFaul is of Irish origin and has several variants including McFall, MacFaul, MacFall, McFawl, McPhaul, McPaull, MacPhaul, MacPaull, MacFauls, McFauls, MacFalls and McFalls. The prefixes "Mac" and "Mc" both mean "son of" in Gaelic, so these surnames essentially mean "son of Paul". Because of this common meaning, the surname can sometimes be often Anglicized as "Paul".
However, due the variety in English dialects and the Gaelic language, surname spellings have been amended over generations. Therefore these surnames have diversified in their spellings significantly over time. In some cases, McFaul and its variants may be a phonetic Anglicization of a different Gaelic surname, such as Mac Phail. These variations in spelling usually occur due to transcription errors, the influence of non-Irish languages, or simplified spelling by the bearers themselves.
In addition to this, these surnames can change specifically from region to region where they originate from in Ireland. Despite the different spellings, these surnames all maintain the same original root in the Irish Gaelic language.
Famous people with the name McFaul
- Sarah McFaul: Irish writer, poet and playwright.
- Raymond McFaul: Scottish former international footballer.
- Milena McFaul: Irish-American classical violinist and composer.
- Bob McFaul: Irish-American sports broadcaster.
- Patrick McFaul: Irish-American sculptor and multimedia installation artist.
- Jack McFaul: Former professional basketball player.
- Emer McFaul: Irish-American former professional basketball player.
- P. J. McFaul: Irish-American professional basketball coach.
- Susan McFaul: Scottish writer and translator.
- Patrick McFaul: Northern Irish politician and former MP.
- Alan McFaul: English football agent and former professional footballer.
- Soctt McFaul: Irish-American former college soccer player.
- Lenny McFaul: Former Larne Football Club goalkeeper.
- Michael McFaul: American politician, diplomat, political scientist, and university professor.
- John McFaul: Australian professional rugby league footballer.