McFaden Name Meaning, Origin and Heraldry

Some records give McFadden; others give McFaden. Both point to the same Scottish family name. Taken at its root, McFaden points to “The son of little Pad, a pet form of Patrick (noble or patrician)”. McFaden drops the “d” of McFadden, a shortening that clerks often made. Other spellings include McFadyen, McFayden and MacFadyen.

About 329 people in the United States were recorded as McFaden in 2010, placing it 61,123 on the national list. That is enough to place it in the top 100,000 American surnames.

Looking for a McFaden coat of arms? Arms were granted to families, not to surnames, and our research shows which heraldic tradition fits yours. Get the complete McFaden report, with a museum-style coat of arms.