Parlan

Parlan (m) Gaelic MacPharlain, ‘son of Parlan,’ is the
origin of surnames such as Macfarlane, Macfarland, etc.
Parlan is still in occasional use as a Christian name in
Scotland. It represents the Irish Parthalan, a name
which has been explained as ‘waves of the sea.’

A man bearing this name figures prominently in Irish legend, and also in the family legends of the earls of Lennox. When ‘English’ names became obligatory in former times, Bartholomew was seized upon as a substitute of Parlan. As usual there was no etymological connection between the two names. Bartholomew is Hebrew, meaning ‘son of the twin.’

The name was formerly much used because of the popularity of St Bartholomew. It gave rise to numerous surnames, including Bart, Bartle, Bar tlet, Bates, Bateson, Bateman, Batson, etc. Bartholomew is now rare as a Christian name.

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