McFadyen Family Name and Heraldry

McFadyen is a familiar spelling of the Ulster name McFadden. The family name meaning is “Son of little Patrick”, the same as for McFadden. McFadyen writes “y” in place of the “d” found in McFadden, a typical scribal difference. Census takers and immigration officers often wrote what they heard. Other spellings include MacFadyen, McFaden and McFayden.

The 2010 US Census counted 880 people named McFadyen, ranking it number 27,411 among American surnames. That is enough to place it in the top 50,000 American surnames.

Looking for a McFadyen coat of arms? Arms were granted to families, not to surnames, and our research shows which heraldic tradition fits yours. Research your McFadyen family history with a full surname report and painted coat of arms.