MacFarlane Coat of Arms and Surname Origin

The spelling MacFarlane grew out of McFarland, an Ulster surname with a long paper trail. Its meaning, shared with McFarland, is “Son of Parlan (Bartholomew)”. Before spelling was fixed, McFarland was also written MacFarlane. Spellings drifted because names were written down by ear in parish books, tax rolls and passenger lists. You may also find the name written McFarlane, MacFarland and McFarlin.

4,605 Americans were listed as MacFarlane in the 2010 census.

Looking for a MacFarlane coat of arms? Arms were granted to families, not to surnames, and our research shows which heraldic tradition fits yours. Research your MacFarlane family history with a full surname report and painted coat of arms.