| ![Show Contents]() McFarlin History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland
Etymology of McFarlinWhat does the name McFarlin mean? The age-old Hebrides islands and the west coast of Scotland are the ancestral home of the McFarlin family. Their name comes from the personal name Parlan, which is the Gaelic equivalent of Bartholomew. The Gaelic form of the name is Mac Pharlain. 1 McFarlin Coat of Arms CreationIn clan fights the MacFarlanes were generally on the losing side, but at the battle of Langside they were instrumental in turning the tide of battle at the crucial moment. It is told that MacFarlane came up with three hundred of his men, and, falling on the flank of the Queen's army, threw them into disorder, and thus contributed to the deciding of the fortunes of the day. The MacFarlanes captured three of Queen Mary's standards in the fray. The chief's reward was not a very tangible one, and is scarcely creditable to the Regent Moray, being merely a crest which flattered his vanity, a demi-savage holding in his right hand a sheaf of arrows and pointing with his left to an imperial crown. The motto borne upon a scroll above the head of the savage is " This I'll defend." 2 Early Origins of the McFarlin familyThe surname McFarlin was first found in Aberdeenshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Obar Dheathain), a historic county, and present day Council Area of Aberdeen, located in the Grampian region of northeastern Scotland, where they were descended from the ancient Chief Allan, son of Farlane and settled in Strathdonn in Aberdeenshire about the 9th century. This Clan was originally known as the Clan Allan. Official documentation is derived from Gilchrist MacFarlane who was brother of Maldowen, third of the ancient Earls of Lennox in the 13th century. Grandson of Gilchrist was Parlan, the first of the Clan so named. Duncan, sixth Chief of the Clan obtained the lands of Arrochar in 1395. They supported the Earls of Lennox at the Battle of Pinkie, and they also distinguished themselves at the Battle of Langside, fighting against Queen Mary and capturing three of the Queen's standards. 3 The MacFarlane Clan acquired the lands of Arrochar from the Earl of Lennox in the late 14th century. The chief, Duncan, gained many of the surrounding lands through marriage in 1395 and claimed the title of Earl of Lennox upon the death of the old Earl, who had left no male heir. In fact, the MacFarlanes had a reasonable claim to the Earldom of Lennox, for which they fought so strenuously, for their eponymous ancestor was Parlan, the great-grandson of Gilchrist. His brother had been Maldowen, the third of the ancient earls of Lennox during the 13th century. When the title of Earl was conferred upon Sir John Stewart, a bitter feud ensued between the MacFarlanes and the Stewarts, which lasted until the 15th century. Interestingly, in the next century, the warlike MacFarlanes became supporters of their erstwhile foes and distinguished themselves in many battles. However, by the 17th century, the Clan was outlawed and became scattered, with some members immigrating to Ireland and later to America. Early History of the McFarlin familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our McFarlin research. Another 59 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1705, 1734, 1758, 1767, 1768, 1771, 1791, 1792, 1804, 1832, 1857 and 1890 are included under the topic Early McFarlin History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. McFarlin Spelling VariationsMedieval spelling was at best an intuitive process, and translation between Gaelic and English was no more effective. These factors caused an enormous number of spelling variations in Dalriadan names. In fact, it was not uncommon to see a father and son who spelled their name differently. Over the years, McFarlin has been spelled MacFarlane, MacFarlain, MacFarlan, MacFarland, MacParlan, MacParland, MacPartland, MacPartlin, MacPharlane, MacPharlin, MacPharlan and many more. Early Notables of the McFarlin familyNotable amongst the Clan from early times was Walter MacFarlan (d. 1767), antiquary, second son of John Macfarlan of Arrochar and Helen, daughter of Robert, second viscount Arbuthnot, succeeded his father in 1705. From his early years Macfarlan devoted himself to antiquarian research connected with the history of Scotland. Ecclesiastical records specially attracted him, and he employed a clerk named Tait to make copies of most of the cartularies accessible to him; the copies are notable for their accuracy and neatness. Macfarlan appears to have held strict views on etiquette. 4Duncan MacFarlane (1771-1857), principal of Glasgow University, son of Duncan Macfarlane...
Another 197 words (14 lines of text) are included under the topic Early McFarlin Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. McFarlin RankingIn the United States, the name McFarlin is the 7,138th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 5 Migration of the McFarlin family to IrelandSome of the McFarlin family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 87 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
| McFarlin migration to the United States | + |
Scottish settlers arrived in many of the communities that became the backbones of the United States and Canada. Many stayed, but some headed west for the endless open country of the prairies. In the American War of Independence, many Scots who remained loyal to England re-settled in Canada as United Empire Loyalists. Scots across North America were able to recover much of their lost heritage in the 20th century as Clan societies and highland games sprang up across North America. Early immigration and passenger lists have documented some of the first McFarlins to arrive on North American shores:
McFarlin Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- John McFarlin, who landed in America in 1804 6
- Joseph McFarlin, aged 35, who landed in New York in 1854 6
| McFarlin migration to Canada | + |
Some of the first settlers of this family name were: McFarlin Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century- Ms. Charryty McFarlin U.E. who settled in Didgeguash, Charlotte County, New Brunswick c. 1784 7
- Mr. Hugh McFarlin U.E., (McFarlan, McFarland) who settled in Mascarene, Charlotte County, New Brunswick c. 1784 7
McFarlin Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century- Sarah McFarlin, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1824
| Contemporary Notables of the name McFarlin (post 1700) | + |
- Robert John McFarlin Sr. (1929-2017), American politician and a civil engineer, Member of the Minnesota House of Representatives (1967-1970)
- Robert M. McFarlin (1866-1942), American oilman, cattle rancher, philanthropist, and businessman, eponym of the McFarlin Memorial Auditorium, on the campus of Southern Methodist University; he built McFarlin Building, a general office in downtown Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1918
- Diane McFarlin, American publisher for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune
- Ivan McFarlin (b. 1982), American professional basketball player
- W. D. McFarlin, American politician, Mayor of Plano, Texas, 1898-1904 8
- Mary S. McFarlin, American politician, Dry Candidate for Delegate to New York convention to ratify 21st amendment, 1933 8
- John J. McFarlin, American politician, Mayor of Portsmouth, Ohio, 1883-85 8
- J. N. McFarlin, American politician, Member of South Dakota State House of Representatives 9th District, 1919-20 8
- Mrs. Clyde McFarlin, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Iowa, 1944 8
- Clyde McFarlin, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Iowa, 1936 8
- ... (Another 1 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
| Historic Events for the McFarlin family | + |
- Mr. Robert McFarlin, British crew member who was aboard the ship "SS Atlantic" when it struck rocks off Nova Scotia in 1873, survived the sinking
| McFarlin Motto and War Cry | + |
The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.
Motto: This I'll defend
War Cry: "Loch Sloy, Loch Sloy"
War Cry Description: Their gathering place was a small lake near the base of Ben Voirlich, and from it they took their war cry, "Loch Sloy, Loch Sloy," a. name which means "the lake of the host."
- Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
- Polson, Alexander, The Romance of Scottish Crests and Mottoes. Inverness: Walter Alexander, Inglis Street 1929. Print
- Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. Print
- Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
- "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
- Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
- Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
- The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 21) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
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