Surname McFerrin - Meaning and Origin
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McFerrin: What does the surname McFerrin mean?
The last name McFerrin is of Scottish origin. It is derived from the ancient surname of MacFhearghuis, which means "son of the furrier", referring to a person who worked with furs and skins.
The earliest recorded bearer of the name was David McFerron in 1460 in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland. From there, the family became more widespread, first in Scotland and later in Ireland and the United States.
Today, the last name McFerrin is relatively uncommon, but people who carry the name are proud of their Scottish heritage. As with many traditional Scottish surnames, McFerrin has many different spelling variations, from MacFerrin and MacFerrin to McVeron, Macfarlane and Macdermott.
No matter how it's spelled, McFerrin is a proud symbol of Scotland's rich history and culture. In some cases, the name is even used to honor ancestors. Those bearing the McFerrin last name are part of a long legacy, and they should never forget it.
Order DNA origin analysisMcFerrin: Where does the name McFerrin come from?
The last name McFerrin is most common in the United States, primarily concentrated in the South but with some presence throughout the country. In the U.S. Census of 2000, some 2,338 people claimed the name, making it the 12,550th most common surname overall in America. Most of them -- about 1,250 -- resided in Texas, while another 320 lived in Arkansas. In addition to being relatively common in other southern states, such as Alabama, Tennessee, and Louisiana, there were also notable numbers in California (200), Washington (120), and Missouri (84). It’s generally thought that Mcferrin is an anglicization of the Irish MacFhearghuin, and analysis of surnames in the 17th century show its prevalence in Ulster, now part of Northern Ireland. It still ranks among the top 100 surnames in Northern Ireland today. Of course, this doesn’t account for the presence of the name among African Americans, who are said to have adopted the name from white slaveholders in colonial America. There is also a similarly-spelt surname Ferrin that is of French origin. So while historically rooted in Ireland, the last name McFerrin is now fairly widespread across the world.
Variations of the surname McFerrin
McFerrin is an Irish surname, and is thought to originate from the Gaelic name Mac Fherghain. It is also sometimes spelt as MacFerrin or McDerren.
Variants of the surname include MacFergus, MacFerran and MacFarlane. These names are derived from the Gaelic first name Fergus, which is also the origin of the Irish surname Farrell.
Other spelling variations of McFerrin are MacFearing, McFearing, MacFiron, MacFearan, MacFerren, MacFurgus, MacFurrin and MacFeirin. All these variants can be translated as "son of Fergus".
Variants of the name outside of Ireland include MacFiran, MacFirran, MacFurlan, MacFarren, Farrin and Farrine. The last two being Anglicised spellings of the Irish Mac Fherghain.
Surnames of the same origin as McFerrin include MacFarlane, MacFarlane, MacFarlane, McCaffrey, Fawther, Fader, Fair, McGiffin, McGiffen and McGifford.
The variations of the McFerrin surname indicate the outcome of linguistic evolution, with spelling changes over generations as different speakers and writers attempted to spell it using the phonetics of their own language, which in this case included both Gaelic and English.
Famous people with the name McFerrin
- Bobby McFerrin: Grammy Award-winning vocalist and multi-instrumentalist known for his hit single “Don’t Worry Be Happy” in 1988.
- Robert McFerrin Sr.: Famous opera singer; the first African American man to sing at the Metropolitan Opera in 1961.
- Donovan McFerrin: Bobby’s son, actor and musician.
- Robert McFerrin Jr.: Bobby’s son, award winning jazz vocalist and conductor.
- Marcus McFerrin: Award-winning composer and bassist.
- Patrice O’Neal: Stand-up comedian, actor and radio host.
- Nicole Theodore: Professional singer/songwriter.
- Kevin MacFerrin: Singer, guitarist, and music producer.
- Torin McFerrin: Actor/singer and Bobby’s cousin.
- Marsha Mcferrin: Emmy Award-winning director.
Other surnames
Comments or additions to the name "McFerrin"
01.03.2024
Betsy Ross: Creator of the first American flag and knew George Washington.