The McFarland surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 41,300 people carried this name — #835 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 7,140 people counted. That is up 3% from 40,244 in 2000.

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Where the name comes from

The origin of the McFarland surname

Variant of McFarlane.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «McFarland» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

In Ireland’s birth registers, 1890

Ireland registered 46 births for the McFarland name in 1890.

Most were registered in Ulster. By the Registrar-General’s own method — births multiplied by 44.38 — that is about 2,000 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time. The Registrar-General’s note on the name: “Tyrone and Armagh.”

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they were born, 1890

Ulster 44
Leinster 2

Registrar-General for Ireland, «Special Report on Surnames in Ireland» (R. E. Matheson, 1894), births index of 1890 — public domain.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

162 families named McFarland, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 883 people lived in those households, 5.5 to a family on average. The census counted these spellings together: McFarland, McFarlan, Mcfarlan, Mcfarland, McFarlane, Mcfarlane, McFarlen, Mcfarlen, McFarlin, Mcfarlin, Macfarlin, McFarlind, McFarling, Mcfarling, Macfarling, McPharlen. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

Pennsylvania 53
New York 32
North Carolina 21
Massachusetts 17
Maine 14
Virginia 8
South Carolina 6
New Hampshire 5
Vermont 4
Maryland 2

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 252 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

McFarland in American newspapers,
1908–1913.

Newspaper page from Tulsa Daily World carrying the name McFarland
Tulsa Daily World 1911-12-01
Newspaper page from White Pine News Weekly Mining Review carrying the name McFarland
White Pine News Weekly Mining Review 1913-11-09
Newspaper page from Tonopah Daily Bonanza carrying the name McFarland
Tonopah Daily Bonanza 1908-04-12

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain.

In print

McFarland in Australian newspapers,
1840s–1990s.

10,181 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss McFarland. The most, 2,697, date from the 1930s. New South Wales has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in the Northern Territory, at 2.3 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 5,250
Victoria 2,900
Queensland 844
Western Australia 375
South Australia 322
ACT (Canberra) 242
Tasmania 195
Northern Territory 38

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss McFarland.

Who carried it

People named McFarland,
with a public archive behind them.

  • George McFarland
    George McFarland 1928–1993 · film actor
  • Ernest McFarland
    Ernest McFarland 1894–1984 · director
  • Packey McFarland
    Packey McFarland 1888–1936 · boxer
  • Gary McFarland 1933–1971 · jazz musician

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0.

In the public record

People named McFarland,
in the records of 5 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States3,891 records

3,891 records of the McFarland name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 1,443
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 807
  • Other U.S. records 1,641
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Raymond B. McFarland

    Born 1910 in Vermont. Enlisted 1942 at Portland, Maine; salesperson. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1979, buried at Maine Veterans' Memorial Cemetery, Augusta, Maine.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Lizzie McFarland

    Arrived at New York in 1892 aboard the Adriatic from Liverpool and Queenstown, aged 20; servant. From Dublin, Ireland; bound for New York.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)
  3. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Sylvester Warren McFarland

    Born 1948; from Orlando, Florida. U.S. Marine Corps, rifleman; died in an accident 1968 in Quang Tri, South Vietnam.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)

Showing 3 of 3,891 records for McFarland in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain).

Australia450 records

450 records of the McFarland name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 286
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 91
  • Other Australian records 73
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Jane McFarland

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Greenlaw, sailing from Dublin in 1844. Native of Tyrone.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Jane McFarland

    Arrived in Victoria in 1886 aboard the Arabic, aged 26; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Patrick Cade McFarland

    Gardener of Gardenvale, Victoria; died 1990.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 450 records for McFarland in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

Canada67 records

67 records of the McFarland name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 27
  • City of Calgary cemetery records 14
  • Other Canadian records 26
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Jas McFarland

    Came to Ontario in 1870 aboard the St Patrick, landing at Quebec, bound for Collingwood, Ontario; Scotch.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Victoria Mary Adeline McFarland

    Buried in 1991 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 72.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Eleanor Sarah McFarland

    Died 1957 in Sandford, Yarmouth, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.

Showing 3 of 67 records for McFarland in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

United Kingdom6 records

6 records of the McFarland name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 5
  • Welsh wills index cards 1
  1. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Margaret McFarland

    Will proved in 1889; of Llandudno, Carnarvon.

    National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0)
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record E. McFarland

    St Yorshire Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record A. McFarland

    Loyal North Lancashire Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 6 records for McFarland in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

New Zealand3 records

3 records of the McFarland name in New Zealand
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 2
  • Marlborough District cemetery records 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Edward McFarland

    Died 1959, aged 47; buried at Sydenham Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Elizabeth McFarland

    Died 1902, aged 34; buried at Omaka Cemetery, Marlborough.

    Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Mary Jane McFarland

    Died 1917, aged 98; buried at Addington Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to McFarland.

When the index is not enough

This page says where McFarland is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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