Show ContentsMcPartlin History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The McPartlin family comes from the ancient Scottish Dalriadan clans of the mountainous west coast of Scotland. The name McPartlin is derived from the personal name Parlan, which is the Gaelic equivalent of Bartholomew. The Gaelic form of the name is Mac Pharlain.

Early Origins of the McPartlin family

The surname McPartlin was first found in Aberdeenshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Obar Dheathain), a historic county, and present day Council Area of Aberdeen, located in the Grampian region of northeastern Scotland, where they were descended from the ancient Chief Allan, son of Farlane and settled in Strathdonn in Aberdeenshire about the 9th century.

This Clan were originally known as the Clan Allan. Official documentation is derived from Gilchrist MacFarlane who was brother of Maldowen, third of the ancient Earls of Lennox in the 13th century. Grandson of Gilchrist was Parlan, the first of the Clan so named. Duncan, sixth Chief of the Clan obtained the lands of Arrochar in 1395. They supported the Earls of Lennox at the Battle of Pinkie, and they also distinguished themselves at the Battle of Langside, fighting against Queen Mary and capturing three of the Queen's standards. [1]

The MacFarlane Clan acquired the lands of Arrochar from the Earl of Lennox in the late 14th century. The chief, Duncan, gained many of the surrounding lands through marriage in 1395 and claimed the title of Earl of Lennox upon the death of the old Earl, who had left no male heir. In fact, the MacFarlanes had a reasonable claim to the Earldom of Lennox, for which they fought so strenuously, for their eponymous ancestor was Parlan, the great-grandson of Gilchrist. His brother had been Maldowen, the third of the ancient earls of Lennox during the 13th century.

When the title of Earl was conferred upon Sir John Stewart, a bitter feud ensued between the MacFarlanes and the Stewarts, which lasted until the 15th century. Interestingly, in the next century, the warlike MacFarlanes became supporters of their erstwhile foes and distinguished themselves in many battles. However, by the 17th century, the Clan was outlawed and became scattered, with some members immigrating to Ireland and later to America.

Early History of the McPartlin family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McPartlin research. Another 59 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1705, 1734, 1758, 1767, 1768, 1771, 1791, 1792, 1804, 1832, 1857 and 1890 are included under the topic Early McPartlin History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McPartlin Spelling Variations

Translation in medieval times was an undeveloped science and was often carried out without due care. For this reason, many early Scottish names appeared radically altered when written in English. The spelling variations of McPartlin include MacFarlane, MacFarlain, MacFarlan, MacFarland, MacParlan, MacParland, MacPartland, MacPartlin, MacPharlane, MacPharlin, MacPharlan and many more.

Early Notables of the McPartlin family

Notable amongst the Clan from early times was Walter MacFarlan (d. 1767), antiquary, second son of John Macfarlan of Arrochar and Helen, daughter of Robert, second viscount Arbuthnot, succeeded his father in 1705. From his early years Macfarlan devoted himself to antiquarian research connected with the history of Scotland. Ecclesiastical records specially attracted him, and he employed a clerk named Tait to make copies of most of the cartularies accessible to him; the copies are notable for their accuracy and neatness. Macfarlan appears to have held strict views on etiquette. [2]Duncan MacFarlane (1771-1857), principal of Glasgow University, son of Duncan Macfarlane...
Another 197 words (14 lines of text) are included under the topic Early McPartlin Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the McPartlin family to Ireland

Some of the McPartlin family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 87 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States McPartlin migration to the United States +

The hardy Scots who made the crossing settled all along the east coast of North America and in the great west that was just then opening up. At the time of the American War of Independence, many United Empire Loyalists moved north from the American colonies to Canada. Scottish national heritage became better known in North America in the 20th century through highland games and other patriotic events. An examination of immigration records and passenger ship lists revealed that people bearing the name McPartlin arrived in North America very early:

McPartlin Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Peter McPartlin, aged 26, settler who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Ginley" in 1836 [3]
  • Bridget McPartlin, aged 20, British settler who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Essex" in 1851 [3]
  • Thos McPartlin, aged 20, Irish settler who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Artica" in 1853 [3]
  • Mary McPartlin, aged 9, settler who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Marathon" in 1853 [3]
  • Mary McPartlin, aged 23, settler who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Lucy Thompson" in 1853 [3]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Australia McPartlin migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

McPartlin Settlers in Australia in the 20th Century
  • Mr. T. McPartlin, settler who arrived in Sydney, Australia aboard the ship "Esperance Bay" in 1927 [4]
  • Mr. W. McPartlin, settler who arrived in Sydney, Australia aboard the ship "Esperance Bay" in 1927 [4]

Contemporary Notables of the name McPartlin (post 1700) +

  • Frank McPartlin (1872-1943), American baseball player for the New York Giants of the National League in one game on August 22, 1899
  • Ryan John McPartlin (b. 1975), American actor, known for his role as Devon "Captain Awesome" Woodcomb on the action-comedy series Chuck
  • Geraldine McPartlin, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Illinois, 1996
  • Brian J. McPartlin, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Illinois, 2008
  • Anna McPartlin (b. 1972), Irish novelist, best known for her novel Pack Up the Moon (2006)
  • Anthony David "Ant" McPartlin OBE (b. 1975), English television presenter, former singer, rapper and actor, best known as part of the presenting duo Ant & Dec

RMS Lusitania
  • Mr. Myles Mcpartlin, American 2nd Class passenger from New York, New York, USA, who sailed aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and died in the sinking [5]


  1. Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. Print
  2. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  3. Ellis Island Search retrieved 21st October 2021. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result
  4. National Archives of Australia retrieved 15th November 2022. Retrieved from https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ListingReports/PassengerListing.aspx
  5. Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 6) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/


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