McFarlin
A Scottish and Irish surname meaning “son of Farlin,” likely from a Gaelic personal name now largely lost or obscured.
The #7,453 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 69,055 Americans shares it.
Etymology
McFarlin is an Anglicized surname with the Gaelic prefix Mac, meaning “son of.” The second element is usually treated as a personal name, Farlin, but its exact Gaelic source is uncertain and may reflect a regional or reduced form of an older name. In practice, the name is best understood as “son of Farlin.”
History
The Mc- and Mac- surnames were widely Anglicized in Scotland and Ireland, especially during the 18th and 19th centuries, producing many different spellings. McFarlin is most often found in North America, where Irish and Scottish family names were recorded in varying forms by English-speaking clerks. The surname is less common than better-known Mac- names, which suggests it may represent a localized family line or a spelling stabilized relatively late.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Because the final element is uncertain, McFarlin is one of those surnames where the family name is clear enough to trace, but the original personal name may have disappeared from everyday use.