2000
#782
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 40,244
First available Census row
Per 100,000 14.92
Uncommon Last name
Mcfarland
A Scottish topographic surname referring to someone who lived near or originated from a fertile grazing land.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 45,194 Americans carry the last name Mcfarland. That puts it at #858 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 13.19 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 7,584 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mcfarland 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 Mcfarland with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
45K
1 in 7,584
Census rank
#858
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
13.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
39K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 39,411 bearers of the surname Mcfarland in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 13.19 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 858th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcfarland, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.8%. The next largest groups are Black (15.4%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mcfarland
The surname McFarland is of Scottish origin, derived from the Gaelic words "mac" meaning "son" and "fear lann" meaning "tenant of the land." This surname first emerged in the area around Argyll, Scotland, in the 13th century.
McFarland is a territorial name, indicating that the original bearer was a landholder or farmer. The name may have originated from a specific location, such as a farm or village, but no definitive records exist to confirm this.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname McFarland can be found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from 1296, which mention a "Gillecrist MacFherlane." This spelling variation demonstrates the evolution of the name over time.
In the 16th century, the McFarland clan played a significant role in the conflicts between the Scottish clans. Duncan McFarland, born around 1520, was a prominent figure during this period and is mentioned in various historical accounts.
Another notable McFarland was Robert McFarland (1640-1703), an Irish Presbyterian minister who was influential in the Scottish Reformation. He was known for his strong opposition to the established Church of England and his advocacy for religious freedom.
In the 18th century, several McFarlands emigrated from Scotland and Ireland to the American colonies. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in America is that of John McFarland, who was born in 1712 in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.
During the American Revolutionary War, James McFarland (1751-1835) served as a colonel in the Continental Army and played a crucial role in several battles, including the Battle of Yorktown in 1781.
In the 19th century, Thomas McFarland (1819-1892) was a prominent businessman and politician from Pennsylvania. He served as a member of the United States House of Representatives and was involved in various industrial and financial ventures.
Throughout history, the McFarland surname has been associated with various professions, including farming, ministry, military service, and business. While the name has evolved in spelling over the centuries, its roots remain firmly embedded in the Scottish Gaelic language and the historical significance of land ownership.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mcfarland
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcfarland, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.8%. The next largest groups are Black (15.4%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Mcfarland 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 Mcfarland surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White75.8% · 29,871
- Black or African American15.4% · 6,055
- Two or more races4.2% · 1,648
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 1,319
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 311
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 207
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mcfarland
Mcfarland 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
#835
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 41,300
+1,056 bearers (+2.6%)
Per 100,000 14.00
Rank movement Down 53 places
2020
#858
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 39,411
-1,889 bearers (-4.6%)
Per 100,000 13.19
Rank movement Down 23 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #782 | 40,244 | 14.92 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #835 | 41,300 | 14.00 | +1,056 bearers (+2.6%) | Down 53 places |
| 2020 | #858 | 39,411 | 13.19 | -1,889 bearers (-4.6%) | Down 23 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 Mcfarland 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 | #835 | #858 | -2.8% |
| Count | 41,300 | 39,411 | -4.6% |
| Per 100K | 14.00 | 13.19 | -5.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mcfarland bearers went from 41,300 to 39,411 (-4.6% change). The surname moved down 23 positions in the national ranking, going from #835 to #858.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Mcfarland
FAQ
Mcfarland surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mcfarland?
Name Census estimates that about 45,194 living Americans carry the surname Mcfarland. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 7,584 residents.
How common is Mcfarland?
Mcfarland ranks #858 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 13.19 per 100,000 residents, which is about 13 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 39,411 people with the surname Mcfarland. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (45,194), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 13.19 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 13.19 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 13 of them to have the surname Mcfarland.
Has Mcfarland become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mcfarland went from 41,300 recorded bearers to 39,411. That is a decrease of 1,889 (-4.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #835 to #858.
What does the Census say about the background of Mcfarland?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcfarland, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.8%. The next largest groups are Black (15.4%) and Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Mcfarland in the 2020 Census, accounting for 75.8% (29,871 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mcfarland appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (75.8%), Black (15.4%), Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Mcfarland (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 Mcfarland mean?
A Scottish topographic surname referring to someone who lived near or originated from a fertile grazing land. 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 Mcfarland (13.19 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 share the surname Mcfarland?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.