There are several versions of the story of the origin of the name, I include them here for your entertainment:
MacFarland/MacFarlane come from MacFadyen, a Scottish clan name that was formerly written Mac Phaidein. It is derived from the Gaelic Paidean, a form of Patrick. MacFayden therefore means: "son of Pat".
The Scottish family of MacFarlane/MacFarland originated with the ancient earls of Lennox; their ancestral home was along the western shore of Loch Lomond. The progenitor of the MacFarlanes was named Bartholomew, which in Gaelic becomes Parlan, hence; MacPharlain; "son of Parlan" popularly interpreted to mean; "son of furrows".
There is an old legend to account for the name MacFarland. It is at least entertaining. We are told that a nephew of an earl of Lennox killed his uncle's cook in a quarrel and left Scotland. He returned many years later, and built a castle on an island near Inversnaid where he lived the life of a recluse. The lonely home of the former exile was known as "Far Land," hence the family name MacFarland; "son of the man from the far-land". The moral seems to be: never quarrel with the family cook, lest you start another surname.
At any rate, our branch of the family started in Scotland, but little is known of the Scottish heritage.
William McFarland
