NameCensus.

UK surname

Macfarlane

A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic "MacPharlain," meaning "son of Parlan" or "son of Bartholomew."

In the 1881 census there were 1,999 people recorded with the Macfarlane surname, ranking it #2,205 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 6,774, ranked #995, up from #2,205 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, Edinburgh and Buchanan. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Oban South, Skye North West and Knapdale.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Macfarlane is 6,789 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 238.9%.

1881 census count

1,999

Ranked #2,205

Modern count

6,774

2016, ranked #995

Peak year

2014

6,789 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Macfarlane had 1,999 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,205 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 6,774 in 2016, ranked #995.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,807 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities.

Macfarlane surname distribution map

The map shows where the Macfarlane surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Macfarlane surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Macfarlane over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 1,428 #2,012
1861 historical 1,085 #2,587
1881 historical 1,999 #2,205
1891 historical 2,586 #1,838
1901 historical 3,807 #1,475
1911 historical 1,198 #3,924
1997 modern 6,255 #1,049
1998 modern 6,573 #1,040
1999 modern 6,568 #1,050
2000 modern 6,609 #1,034
2001 modern 6,477 #1,029
2002 modern 6,613 #1,028
2003 modern 6,464 #1,031
2004 modern 6,430 #1,038
2005 modern 6,395 #1,022
2006 modern 6,399 #1,020
2007 modern 6,517 #1,012
2008 modern 6,505 #1,018
2009 modern 6,590 #1,029
2010 modern 6,722 #1,032
2011 modern 6,652 #1,025
2012 modern 6,541 #1,020
2013 modern 6,659 #1,023
2014 modern 6,789 #1,013
2015 modern 6,763 #1,002
2016 modern 6,774 #995

Geography

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Where Macfarlanes are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, Edinburgh, Buchanan, Greenock and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Oban South, Skye North West, Knapdale, Benderloch Trail and Bridge of Allan and University. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Govan Combination Lanark
2 Edinburgh Edinburgh
3 Buchanan Stirling
4 Greenock Renfrew
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Oban South Argyll and Bute
2 Skye North West Highland
3 Knapdale Argyll and Bute
4 Benderloch Trail Argyll and Bute
5 Bridge of Allan and University Stirling

Forenames

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First names often paired with Macfarlane

These lists show first names that appear often with the Macfarlane surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Macfarlane

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Macfarlane, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Legacy Communities

Group

Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities

Nationally, the Macfarlane surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities, within Legacy Communities. This does not mean every Macfarlane household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Households in these areas often include divorced or separated parents and commonly include children and young adults. The age structure is heavily skewed towards the most advanced age groups. Individuals identifying as members of ethnic minorities are not present in large numbers. Flats predominate, with some terraced, semi-detached, and detached units. Multiple car ownership is low, and housing is predominantly in the private and social rented sectors. Employment is less skewed towards traditional routine industrial occupations. Levels of educational attainment are generally low. The Group occurs principally in the Central Lowlands of Scotland and other Scottish towns.

Wider pattern

These neighbourhoods characteristically comprise pockets of flats that are scattered across the UK, particularly in towns that retain or have legacies of heavy industry or are in more remote seaside locations. Employed residents of these neighbourhoods work mainly in low-skilled occupations. Residents typically have limited educational qualifications. Unemployment is above average. Some residents live in overcrowded housing within the social rented sector and experience long-term disability. All adult age groups are represented, although there is an overall age bias towards elderly people in general and the very old in particular. Individuals identifying as belonging to ethnic minorities or Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups are uncommon.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Macfarlane is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Macfarlane is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Macfarlane falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Macfarlane is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Macfarlane, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Macfarlane

The surname MacFarlane has its origins in the western Scottish Highlands, particularly around the region of Argyll and the Inner Hebrides islands. It is a name of Scottish Gaelic origin, derived from the Gaelic "mac" meaning "son of" and the personal name "Parlan" or "Parlan-og" meaning "little Parlan".

The name first appears in historical records around the 13th century, with the earliest known reference being to a Gilchrist MacParlane in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a document recording those who swore fealty to King Edward I of England. The MacFarlanes were a powerful clan in the Arrochar area of Argyll, with their seat at the castle of Inveruglas on Loch Lomond.

In the 16th century, the MacFarlanes were involved in the infamous feud with the Colquhouns of Luss, a long-running dispute over land and power in the region. This feud is referenced in the traditional Scottish ballad "The Lads of Inveruglas", which tells of a battle between the two clans in 1592.

One of the most notable figures in MacFarlane history is Walter MacFarlane of Arrochar (c.1580-c.1660), a respected scholar and antiquarian who produced the "Geographical Collections" – a valuable record of Scottish place names and their origins. Another prominent MacFarlane was Duncan MacFarlane (1770-1857), a Scottish explorer and fur trader who was instrumental in the early exploration of the Canadian Northwest.

Other notable individuals with the surname include John MacFarlane (1857-1944), a Scottish-born Australian politician and Premier of Queensland from 1925 to 1929, and Norman MacFarlane (1923-2019), a British actor best known for his roles in films such as "Ghandi" and "The Elephant Man".

The MacFarlane name has also been associated with various place names in Scotland, such as Inverioch in Dunbartonshire, which was formerly known as "Innerlugnoch" or "Inverlugnoch" – meaning "the mouth of the loch of the MacFarlanes".

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Macfarlane families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Macfarlane surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Lanarkshire leads with 419 Macfarlanes recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.75x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 419 7.75x
Midlothian 187 8.35x
Renfrewshire 153 11.82x
Perthshire 121 16.13x
Middlesex 97 0.58x
Lancashire 74 0.37x
Dunbartonshire 70 15.59x
Stirlingshire 65 10.55x
Argyllshire 64 13.76x
Angus 62 4.01x
Ross-shire 53 11.55x
Ayrshire 33 2.64x
Fife 33 3.34x
Surrey 27 0.33x
Inverness-shire 24 4.81x
Sussex 22 0.78x
Durham 19 0.38x
Yorkshire 19 0.11x
Buteshire 16 15.80x
Cheshire 14 0.38x
Radnorshire 11 8.16x
Roxburghshire 11 3.63x
Warwickshire 11 0.26x
West Lothian 11 4.37x
Gloucestershire 10 0.31x
Norfolk 9 0.35x
Northumberland 7 0.28x
Banffshire 6 1.73x
Derbyshire 6 0.23x
Nottinghamshire 6 0.27x
Kent 5 0.09x
Oxfordshire 5 0.48x
Worcestershire 5 0.23x
Aberdeenshire 4 0.26x
Berwickshire 4 1.98x
Cumberland 4 0.28x
Shetland 4 2.34x
Suffolk 3 0.15x
Berkshire 2 0.16x
Devon 2 0.06x
Dumfriesshire 2 0.54x
Glamorgan 2 0.07x
Hampshire 2 0.06x
Pembrokeshire 2 0.38x
Somerset 2 0.07x
Caithness 1 0.44x
Carmarthenshire 1 0.14x
Clackmannanshire 1 0.72x
Herefordshire 1 0.15x
Royal Navy 1 0.50x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Govan in Lanarkshire leads with 170 Macfarlanes recorded in 1881 and an index of 12.72x.

Place Total Index
Govan 170 12.72x
Barony 143 10.46x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 77 8.55x
Glasgow 54 5.63x
West Greenock 46 19.79x
Dundee 33 5.71x
Callander 32 258.69x
Islington London 30 1.85x
Arrochar 25 844.59x
Stornoway 21 35.11x
Glenorchy Inishail 20 372.44x
South Leith 20 7.94x
New Monkland 18 11.27x
Bonhill 17 23.58x
Falkirk 16 11.09x
Cambusnethan 14 11.66x
Erskine 14 148.78x
Kilmore Kilbride 14 47.41x
Lochs 14 38.32x
Buchanan 13 412.70x
Cathcart 13 18.56x
Eastwood 13 16.30x
South Uist 13 37.33x
St Pancras London 12 0.89x
Cardross 11 20.40x
Clyro 11 263.16x
Edinburgh St Stephens 11 24.96x
Habergham Eaves 11 6.07x
Kilbarchan 11 27.96x
Paisley Low Church 11 26.84x
Perth St Pauls 11 63.33x
Rothesay 11 22.44x
Barvas 10 32.64x
Blairgowrie 10 33.72x
Brighton 10 1.76x
Edinburgh St Georges 10 21.52x
Linlithgow 10 30.99x
Merevale 10 917.43x
Perth East Church 10 14.14x
Airth 9 114.94x
Ardrossan 9 20.79x
Bristol St James St Paul 9 8.24x
Campsie 9 26.61x
Dunfermline 9 5.92x
Everton 9 1.42x
Kirknewton 9 139.97x
Paisley Middle Church 9 11.94x
Stirling 9 11.58x
Thetford St Mary 9 128.57x
Blackford 8 87.24x
Dysart 8 12.01x
East Greenock 8 6.54x
Edinburgh Lady Yesters 8 51.58x
Inveresk 8 13.20x
Kensington London 8 0.86x
Kilwinning 8 19.81x
Lasswade 8 15.63x
Send Ripley 8 75.40x
Urray 8 56.14x
Westminster St James 8 4.66x
Abbey 7 3.54x
Aberdalgie 7 409.36x
Accrington 7 3.88x
Chester St John Baptist 7 10.56x
Cocking 7 211.48x
Comrie 7 65.30x
Gateshead 7 1.88x
Jedburgh 7 23.60x
Logie 7 26.01x
New Kilpatrick 7 16.39x
Rusholme 7 13.24x
Banff 6 19.93x
Cambuslang 6 11.01x
Cameron 6 104.53x
Dunnichen 6 73.53x
Edinburgh Buccleuch 6 11.33x
Edinburgh St Marys 6 13.79x
Fearn 6 331.49x
Port Glasgow 6 9.58x
St Andrews 6 13.33x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Macfarlane surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Elizabeth 15
Mary 13
Jane 9
Agnes 8
Annie 8
Sarah 8
Margaret 7
Isabella 6
Jessie 6
Alice 5
Ellen 5
Helen 5
Louisa 5
Ann 4
Eliza 4
Catherine 3
Martha 3
Charlotte 2
Christina 2
Edith 2
Eleanor 2
Emily 2
Flora 2
Frances 2
Harriet 2
Lucy 2
Maggie 2
Vida 2
Anita 1
Bessie 1
Betsy 1
Blanche 1
Caroline 1
Catharine 1
Clara 1
Eliz 1
Eliz. 1
Eliza. 1
Elizth. 1
Emma 1
Esther 1
Grace 1
Gwendoline 1
Hester 1
Isabel 1
Janet 1
Jenet 1
Laura 1
Lavinia 1
Williamenia 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Macfarlane surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 23
William 20
James 19
Walter 10
George 9
Robert 9
Alexander 7
Thomas 7
Charles 6
Peter 5
Donald 4
Duncan 4
Edward 3
Henry 3
Malcolm 3
Wm. 3
Andrew 2
Arthur 2
David 2
Fred. 2
Frederick 2
Jas. 2
Norman 2
Robt. 2
Allen 1
Angus 1
Archd. 1
Aylmer 1
Daniel 1
Deas 1
Edgar 1
Ernest 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
Gilbert 1
Harold 1
Harry 1
Herbert 1
Hugh 1
Joseph 1
Louis 1
Mary 1
Matthew 1
Morgan 1
Olive 1
Ralph 1
Richard 1
Ruthven 1
Stewart 1
Sydney 1

FAQ

Macfarlane surname: questions and answers

How common was the Macfarlane surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,999 people were recorded with the Macfarlane surname. That placed it at #2,205 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Macfarlane surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 6,774 in 2016. That gives Macfarlane a modern rank of #995.

What does the Macfarlane surname mean?

A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic "MacPharlain," meaning "son of Parlan" or "son of Bartholomew."

What does the Macfarlane map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Macfarlane bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.