Find out how popular the last name McFadden is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named McFadden.

McFadden, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the McFadden surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McFadden in America

McFadden is the 1098th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McFadden surname appeared 31,839 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 11 people would have the surname McFadden.

We can also compare 2010 data for McFadden to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name McFadden

The surname McFadden has its origins in Scotland, where it first emerged during the Middle Ages. It is a patronymic name, derived from the Gaelic personal name "Fáidín," which means "little prophet" or "diminutive of Áed." The prefix "Mc" or "Mac" indicates "son of" in Gaelic.

The earliest known record of the McFadden name can be traced back to the late 12th century, when it appeared as "MacFadyn" in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a collection of homage renderings made to King Edward I of England by Scottish nobles and landowners. The name is believed to have originated in the region of Ayrshire, where the McFaddens were a prominent family.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the McFaddens were actively involved in the Scottish clan conflicts and wars of the time. Notable figures from this period include Fergus McFadden, a renowned warrior who fought alongside Robert the Bruce in the Wars of Scottish Independence in the early 14th century.

Over time, the name underwent various spelling variations, including MacFadden, McFadyen, and McFaden, reflecting regional dialects and variations in pronunciation. One of the earliest recorded instances of the modern spelling "McFadden" can be found in the Bute Presbytery Records of 1638.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, many McFaddens emigrated from Scotland to various parts of the world, including Ireland, England, and North America. One notable figure from this period is Sir John McFadden (1756-1836), an Irish-born British Army officer who served in the American Revolutionary War and later became a member of the Irish Parliament.

Another prominent individual was John McFadden (1786-1858), an Irish-born American politician and lawyer who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania in the mid-19th century.

In the literary world, Frank Patrick McFadden (1889-1942) was an American novelist and short story writer known for his works set in the American West, including the novel "The Clan McFadden."

More recently, Brian McFadden (born 1980) is an Irish singer and former member of the popular boy band Westlife, while John McFadden (born 1966) is a Scottish actor best known for his roles in television shows like "M.I. High" and "The Crew."

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McFadden

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname McFadden.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for McFadden was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of McFadden has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name McFadden was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of McFadden, please contact us.

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