MacFarlane (English)

Where does "MacFarlane" come from?

The surname MacFarlane is an English variant spelling of McFarlane[1]. This name represents an Anglicized version of the Scottish Gaelic 'Mac Pharthaláin', which translates to 'son of Parthalán'[2]. Scholars believe that 'Parthalán' itself is a Gaelicized form of the personal name 'Bartholomew'[2].

Open questions

The derivation of Parthalán from Bartholomew is considered a probable rather than certain connection. [2]

Full etymology tree

MacFarlane (English), 'A surname from Scottish Gaelic.'
- inherited McFarlane (English), 'A surname from Scottish Gaelic.'
  - learned borrowing Mac Pharthaláin (Scottish Gaelic)
    - compound Mac (Scottish Gaelic)
    - compound Pharthaláin (Scottish Gaelic)
      - derived Parthalán (Scottish Gaelic)
        derived Bartholomew (English), 'An Apostle, identified with Nathanael. (biblical character)'

Sources

Updated August 2026

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Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris