2000
#7,166
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,295
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.59
Rare Last name
Mcfarlin
Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Parthalain, meaning "son of Parthalán," likely derived from the Gaelic word partha, meaning "partner."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,876 Americans carry the last name Mcfarlin. That puts it at #7,540 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.42 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 70,294 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mcfarlin surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Mcfarlin with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.9K
1 in 70,294
Census rank
#7,540
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,252 bearers of the surname Mcfarlin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.42 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7540th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcfarlin, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.5%. The next largest groups are Black (20.7%) and Two or More Races (4.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mcfarlin
The surname McFarlin is of Scottish origin and can be traced back to the 16th century. It is believed to have originated from the Gaelic name "Mac Pharlain," which means "son of Parlan." Parlan was a personal name derived from the Old Gaelic word "parlan" meaning "leper" or "one who suffered from leprosy."
The earliest known record of the name McFarlin is found in the Scottish Exchequer Rolls from 1538, where it appears as "Makferland." This spelling variation suggests that the name was likely pronounced differently in those early times. The name is also found in other historical documents such as the Register of the Privy Council of Scotland from the late 16th century.
The McFarlin surname is closely associated with the Highland region of Scotland, particularly the areas of Argyll and Bute. It is believed that the name originated in this region, where a significant number of McFarlins resided in the 16th and 17th centuries.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname McFarlin was John McFarlin, who was born in Argyllshire, Scotland, in the late 16th century. He was a prominent figure in the local community and served as a magistrate in the town of Inveraray.
Another notable McFarlin was Duncan McFarlin, who lived in the 17th century and was a renowned poet and songwriter. His works were widely celebrated in the Scottish Highlands and helped preserve the region's rich cultural heritage.
In the 18th century, the McFarlin name was associated with several influential families in the Scottish Highlands. One such family was the McFarlins of Lochgilphead, who were landowners and played a significant role in local politics and community affairs.
Another prominent McFarlin was Robert McFarlin, born in 1712 in Argyllshire. He was a successful merchant and trader, and his business ventures took him across the Atlantic Ocean to the American colonies, where he established trading posts and connections.
During the 19th century, many McFarlins emigrated from Scotland to various parts of the world, including North America, Australia, and New Zealand. One notable McFarlin from this period was William McFarlin, born in 1845 in Glasgow, Scotland. He was a renowned architect and designed several iconic buildings in his hometown, including the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mcfarlin
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcfarlin, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.5%. The next largest groups are Black (20.7%) and Two or More Races (4.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Mcfarlin bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Mcfarlin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White69.5% · 2,954
- Black or African American20.7% · 879
- Two or more races4.9% · 210
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 158
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 37
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 14
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mcfarlin
Mcfarlin appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#7,453
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,471
+176 bearers (+4.1%)
Per 100,000 1.52
Rank movement Down 287 places
2020
#7,540
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,252
-219 bearers (-4.9%)
Per 100,000 1.42
Rank movement Down 87 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,166 | 4,295 | 1.59 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,453 | 4,471 | 1.52 | +176 bearers (+4.1%) | Down 287 places |
| 2020 | #7,540 | 4,252 | 1.42 | -219 bearers (-4.9%) | Down 87 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Mcfarlin surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #7,453 | #7,540 | -1.2% |
| Count | 4,471 | 4,252 | -4.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.52 | 1.42 | -6.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mcfarlin bearers went from 4,471 to 4,252 (-4.9% change). The surname moved down 87 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,453 to #7,540.
FAQ
Mcfarlin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mcfarlin?
Name Census estimates that about 4,876 living Americans carry the surname Mcfarlin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 70,294 residents.
How common is Mcfarlin?
Mcfarlin ranks #7,540 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.42 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,252 people with the surname Mcfarlin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,876), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.42 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.42 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Mcfarlin.
Has Mcfarlin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mcfarlin went from 4,471 recorded bearers to 4,252. That is a decrease of 219 (-4.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,453 to #7,540.
What does the Census say about the background of Mcfarlin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcfarlin, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.5%. The next largest groups are Black (20.7%) and Two or More Races (4.9%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Mcfarlin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 69.5% (2,954 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mcfarlin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (69.5%), Black (20.7%), Two or More Races (4.9%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Mcfarlin (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Mcfarlin mean?
Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Parthalain, meaning "son of Parthalán," likely derived from the Gaelic word partha, meaning "partner." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Mcfarlin (1.42 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Mcfarlin?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.