Falla Family History

Spanish and Catalan: probably a nickname from Catalan falla ‘torch’ or ‘bonfire’ (in particular one which was lit in the streets of a city on public festivals) or a metonymic occupational name for one who lit such a bonfire.

Spanish: perhaps also a nickname from falla ‘flaw, error, doubt’ (from Latin falla).

Channel Islands (Guernsey): perhaps a nickname related to Guernsey French falle ‘(bird's) crop, throat’.

Scottish: from any of various places in Midlothian and Lanarkshire named Falla, Fala, or Fallaw, especially Fala in Midlothian, from Old English fāg ‘variegated, multicolored’ + hlaw ‘hill’.

Norwegian: habitational name from a farm so named in southeastern Norway, so named from fall ‘fall’, probably with reference to the site of a landslide or to tree felling.