Council of Scottish Clans & Associations

How to Find Your Clan and Clan Society

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You do not need to have the same surname of of a clan in order to be a part of that clan! Traditionally, a man with the same surname as the chief or a woman who marries such a man are considered members of that specific clan. However, the notion of a clan has evolved in the past few hundred years. Most clan societies, which are the modern-day equivalents of the medieval clans, welcome everyone who has an ancestral link, a birth surname that is a spelling variation of the main clan name, descendants of one of the traditional “septs” or associated families, and anyone who has an interest or spiritual connection to the clan society.

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Origins of Clans. "Clan" is the modern spelling of the Gaelic word "clanna" and "clainn" meaning "children" or "family." The first mention of the clans of Scotland was by the Irish missionary Columcille or Saint Columba (521 –597.) He wrote: "Moirsheiser do Cruitline clainn, Eaindset Albain i seclit raind, Cait, Ce, Cirig, cethach clanii. Fib, Fidach, Fotla, Fortrenn." The English translation is "Seven children of Cruthne divided Alban (Scotland) into seven divisions. Cait, Ce, Cirig, a warlike clan. Fib, Fidach, Fotla, Fortrenn." (Skene, William Forbes, Editor. 1867. Chronicles of the Picts, Chronicles of the Scots, and Other Early Memorials of Scottish History. Edinburgh: H.M. Register House.)

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Rise and Fall of Clans. These clans existed throughout Scotland and were vital to the survival of their families. Some clans became more powerful than others and those who needed protection were welcomed into the larger clans. However, the need for clans began diminishing in the 15th century with the spread of land-based feudalism. Lowland Scots received grants of good arable land and adapted more quickly to the new order. The Union with Scotland in 1707 further weakened the clans since new opportunities in trade opened up in the cities. In a similar manner, the lowland Scots embraced Protestantism and the newer Presbyterianism while more Highland and island Scots clung to Catholicism, the "Auld Religion." Highland and island Scots clung longer to the older familial system in order to survive. However, the clan leaders or chiefs began to lose their authority, clans split into different branches or septs, and clan members chose to follow different leaders for economic, political, and religious reasons. The Jacobite rebellions in the later 17th century and first half of the 18th century further divided the clans and eviscerated the Highland clans.

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Clan Societies. The interest in Scottish clans was rekindled in the early and middle 19th century with a series of books that romanticized the highland Scots of the previous century.  Sir Walter Scott published Waverley; or, 'Tis Sixty Years Since in 1814. This became so popular that he wrote another 24 novels that were among the most popular and widely read novels in Europe. Scott stage-managed the visit of King George IV to Scotland in 1822 in full tartan regalia. This increased the interest in Highland culture and Scottish societies spring up throughout the world. In the 20th century, clan societies became the modern-day clans that connected their members to their Scottish heritage.

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Surnames. The use of surnames was not common in Scotland before the 14th century. Instead, people usually bore the names of their fathers (such as “Angus mac Donald” or Angus son of Donald); a physical characteristic or job (such as "Reid" for red-haired or "Smith" for blacksmith); or the lands they owned or ruled (such as “Donnchadh, Earl of Mar.”) The use surnames developed within the lifetime of Alexander, 1st Lord Forbes (circa 1380 - 1448.) In 1402, the charter of the lands of Edinbanchory and Craiglogy, was granted by Isabel Douglas, Countess of Mar, to "Alexander de Forbes, Miles" or "Alexander who owned the land of Forbes, soldier." In 1423, Alexander Stewart, Earl of Mar, granted the lands of Alford to "dilecto consanguineo sui Alexandrae Forbes, milite, et carissimo consanguinee Elizabeth de Douglas" The translation is "beloved cousin Alexander Forbes, soldier, and dear cousin Elizabeth of Douglas." Elizabeth was Alexander's fiancée and granddaughter of Robert III, of the House of Stewart. (Tayler, Alistair and Henrietta. 1937. House of Forbes. Aberdeen: Third Spalding Club.)

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Spelling Variations. From the Middle Ages until about the 19th century, the spelling of surnames was more of an artform than a standard. In many cases, illiterate people had to rely on a government or commercial clerks to spell their names phonetically for immigration forms or census rolls. As Scots emigrated, their accents were often misunderstood even by speakers of English. This has given rise to many different spellings of the same family name. Most -- but not all -- of the more common modern variations are included in this guide.
 

Lineage. Even if you do not have the surname or variation of a particular clan, you may still be considered a clan member by lineage. Everyone has 8 great-grandparents – and one birth surname may be the same as the clan. Most clans no longer observe the Medieval tradition that a man is born into a clan and a women must take the clan of her husband. In fact, at least seven women have been recognized by the Lord Lyon as chiefs. Many people honor their mothers, grandmothers, and other ancestors.

Septs and Affiliated Families. Many clans also recognize “septs” or families associated  with the clans. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the word “sept” has been used since 1518 to denote “a branch of a family.” The first publication to link “septs and dependents” with their clans was in 1896. (Adam, Frank. 1896. What is My Tartan? or The Clans of Scotland, with Their Septs and Dependents. Edinburgh and London: W. A. K. Johnston, Ltd.) The author conducted additional research on clan septs in 1908 (Adams, Frank. 1908. The Clans, Septs & Regiments of the Scottish Highlands. Edinburgh and London: W. A. K. Johnston, Ltd.) and another author expanded on this information in 1923. (Eyre-Todd, George. 1923. The Highland Clans of Scotland: Their History and Traditions. New York: D. Appleton and Company.) According to these sources, families with the same surname may have lived in different regions and may have been affiliated with different clans. In the later part of the twentieth century, the term “sept” fell out of favor with some researchers: “The preferred modern usage is to simply describe these as what they are – surnames of the main family and of allied and dependent families.” (Smith, Philip D. 1986. Tartan For Me!, Third Edition.) Two other researchers note that “the subject of septs is a contentious one” but they include a “guide to the possible connections a name may have to a recognized clan or family…” (Plean, George Way, and Squire, Romilly. 1994. Scottish Clan & Family Encyclopedia. HarperCollinsPublishers.) Some clans prefer the monosyllabic "septs" and others prefer the polysyllabic term “allied and dependent families” – but both terms indicate members of the clan.