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

McFarquhar, 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 McFarquhar surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McFarquhar in America

McFarquhar is the 129047th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McFarquhar surname appeared 132 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname McFarquhar.

The history of the last name McFarquhar

The surname McFarquhar has its origins in Scotland, dating back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Gaelic words "mac" meaning "son of" and "Fearchair," which is a personal name derived from the Gaelic word "fear" meaning "man" and the root "car" meaning "beloved" or "dear one." Thus, the name McFarquhar essentially means "son of the beloved man."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which list individuals who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. The entry "Gillecrist McFerquhar de Abyrnythy" refers to a McFarquhar from the town of Abernethy.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various Scottish records and charters, such as the Exchequer Rolls of 1365, which mention a "Gilcrist McFarquar" from Fife. The spelling variations during this period included McFarquhar, McFerquhar, and McFerchar.

One notable McFarquhar in Scottish history was Sir John McFarquhar, a prominent landowner and military commander who fought in the Wars of Scottish Independence in the late 13th and early 14th centuries. He was rewarded for his loyalty to King Robert the Bruce with lands in Aberdeenshire.

Another significant figure was Alexander McFarquhar (1680-1756), a Scottish minister and theologian who served as the principal of the University of Glasgow from 1733 until his death. He was a highly respected scholar and author of several religious works.

In the 18th century, the McFarquhars were particularly concentrated in the counties of Aberdeenshire, Angus, and Perthshire. One notable individual from this time was James McFarquhar (1736-1815), a successful merchant and landowner who acquired substantial estates in Aberdeenshire.

As the McFarquhars spread throughout Scotland and beyond, the name underwent various spelling variations, including McFarquhar, McFarquher, McFarquair, and McFarquar. While the surname originated in Scotland, it has since been carried to other parts of the world by Scottish emigrants and their descendants.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McFarquhar

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

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 McFarquhar 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.

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 McFarquhar was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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