<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0306</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2018-02-21</periodOfReport>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0001472787</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>First American Financial Corp</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>FAF</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001235820</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>DEGIORGIO KENNETH D</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>1 FIRST AMERICAN WAY</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2></rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>SANTA ANA</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>CA</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>92707</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isOfficer>1</isOfficer>
            <officerTitle>Executive Vice President</officerTitle>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2018-02-21</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>A</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness></transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>41519</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>0</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>A</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>477742</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2018-02-22</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>F</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness></transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>6262</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>56.97</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>471480</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F2"/>
                    <footnoteId id="F3"/>
                    <footnoteId id="F4"/>
                    <footnoteId id="F5"/>
                    <footnoteId id="F6"/>
                    <footnoteId id="F7"/>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
        <nonDerivativeHolding>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>128.078</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>I</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value>By 401(k) Plan Trust</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F8"/>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeHolding>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">Payment of tax liability by withholding securities incident to the vesting of restricted stock units.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">Includes 10,584 unvested Restricted Stock Units (&quot;RSUs&quot;) acquired pursuant to an original grant of 37,404 RSUs and shares acquired through automatic dividend reinvestment, vesting in four equal annual increments commencing 2/27/15, the first anniversary of the grant.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F3">Includes 19,954 unvested RSUs acquired pursuant to an original grant of 36,440 RSUs and shares acquired through automatic dividend reinvestment, vesting in four equal annual increments commencing 2/25/16, the first anniversary of the grant.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F4">Includes 44,698 unvested RSUs acquired pursuant to an original grant of 56,000 RSUs and shares acquired through automatic dividend reinvestment, vesting in four equal annual increments commencing 2/23/17, the first anniversary of the grant.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F5">Includes 37,903 unvested RSUs acquired pursuant to an original grant of 48,997 and shares acquired through automatic dividend reinvestment, vesting in four equal annual increments commencing 2/22/18, the first anniversary of the grant.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F6">Includes 41,519 unvested RSUs acquired pursuant to a grant vesting in four equal annual increments commencing 2/21/19.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F7">The reporting person's receipt of certain shares underlying vested RSUs associated with various grants and related shares acquired through automatic dividend reinvestment have been deferred.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F8">Amount shown consists of shares contributed by issuer as company match, shares purchased for the reporting person's account and shares acquired through automatic reinvestment of dividends paid as reported in most recent account statement in transactions exempt under rules 16a-3(f)(1)(i)(B) and 16b-3(c).</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>/s/ Greg L. Smith, Attorney-in-Fact for Kenneth D. DeGiorgio</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2018-02-23</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
