Scottish Clans and Their Associated Families: Second Edition

By Robert J Heston

Get accurate information about Scottish clans, family associations, and societies in this updated edition of Scottish Clans and Their Associated Families.

Robert J. Heston expands on his groundbreaking work to focus on the Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs’ (SCSC) list of 353 clans. In addition, the author has retained the details of thirty-three Scottish families who are active in the United States and not cited in the SCSC list.

When using this book, it is important to note that most Scottish clan and family organizations have clauses in their family lists stating that “variations in spelling of these names are accepted.” Therefore, this book provides the researcher the ability to look beyond an exact spelling of a name.

Other books on this subject focus on a small number of clans, ancient names, and the preferred spellings of these small number of families. Some associate an individual name to a tartan, which can be problematic.

With more than 12,000 names with the sources where these names were found, this work is the best source focused on identifying family surnames associated with Scottish clans, houses, and families.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Archway Publishing
• Release date: Jun 7, 2022
• ISBN: 9781665723572

Robert J Heston

Bob Heston retired from the military after nearly 31 years of active service.  Fourteen years of that were spent in Europe (10 in England) but the discovery about his Scottish roots only came at the time of his retirement from the Air Force.    Following retirement from the military he served as a senior intelligence advisor and subject matter expert on joint military combat operations to the Department of Defense. After 24 years in this “day job” he retired to Colorado to teach his grandsons about beekeeping, stained-glass design, and how to drive.  He’s an avid motorcyclist and has ridden his Harley across the US, throughout Australia, and Canada. Bob is a past President of the Council of Scottish Clans and Associations (COSCA), a Life member of the Clan Graham Society, author of the COSCA Research Reference Book, and, recently, Scottish Clans And Their Associated Families.   Bob initially came into the service of the Scottish-American community through COSCA as a “volunteered” Trustee member many years back all because his mother-in-law didn’t want the added work of being a Trustee, so, she volunteered him to take her place and remains with the organization today.   Bob makes every effort to support the Scottish-American community through COSCA.  As COSCA’s President (2000–2008) he actively worked with the COSCA Webmaster to design and establish a searchable website helping those seeking their Scottish roots make that initial connection, something he continues supporting to this day.       Bob’s principle focus throughout his service to the Scottish-American community has been, and remains, increasing the presence of researchers at the games while providing them with the best research tools to assist all who attend these events find their Scottish connection.

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Copyright © 2022 Robert J. Heston.

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Archway Publishing

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expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the

views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

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ISBN: 978-1-6657-2356-5 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6657-2357-2 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2022908805

Archway Publishing rev. date: 6/4/2022

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction

Suggested Research Materials

Key Definitions And Term Usage

Key To Footnotes

Useful Sites

Index Of Clans/Families Covered In This Book

Family Surname With Clan/Family Affiliation

Bibliography

About The Author

INTRODUCTION

This book is the best available single source focused on identifying family surnames associated with Scottish clans, houses, and families.

The initial book, published in 2004, was conceived in 2002. As a Council of Scottish Clans and Associations (COSCA) field researcher myself, I found it difficult to accurately answer the frequently asked questions Which is my clan? or What is my tartan?

At the time, my mother-in-law, also a COSCA researcher and genealogist, was collecting clan family name sheets at each of the Scottish events we attended. She also spent time researching and purchasing books that would best aid her research and help individuals seeking to connect their specific family name to a Scottish clan. In the end, we were hauling several suitcases filled to the brim with clan family sheets and books to our tent. However, with the number of people seeking help with family surnames, it was nearly impossible to quickly go through the books of information and collected family lists to get the level of detail most people were seeking.

Our research was further complicated by the fact that most books on Scottish families are antiquated and incomplete because they opted to focus on a small number of clans and, within that, either ancient names or the preferred spelling of those names commonly found with them. Then there is Tartan For Me! by Dr. Phil Smith. In this book, Dr. Smith connects family surnames to tartans. Many choose his book as their authoritative source for connecting people to a clan. However, Dr. Smith qualified that his work is not primarily about linking to a clan. He goes out of his way to advise readers not to use his book to link any individual family name to a clan. He emphasizes that the clan chief decides which family names are associated with that line.

In 2004, as the President of COSCA, I requested and received the approval and support of the COSCA board and the Scottish Clan Societies and Associations in the United States to publish the first edition of Scottish Clans and Their Associated Families. That book consolidated the surnames associated with the 201 clans, houses, and families active in the United States at the time. The interest generated by the first edition led clans to add spelling variations and ancient family names to their published lists and banners.

I felt it was time to republish this book and incorporate the many changes that have taken place since the first edition. In my most recent research, I have found that many families I listed in the first edition are no longer active today, either at the games or on the web; however, I retained references to them in this book.

This edition focuses on the Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs’ (SCSC) list of 353 clans. In addition, I have retained the details of thirty-three Scottish families who are active in the United States and not cited in the SCSC list.

When using this book, it is important to note that most Scottish clan and family organizations have clauses in their family lists stating that variations in spelling of these names are accepted. Therefore, this book provides the researcher the ability to look beyond an exact spelling (i.e., looks like or sounds like) of the name. This book contains approximately 12,000 names in addition to the sources where these names were found.

The surname to clan affiliation portion of this book has been provided to COSCA. They have opted to only use the surname connections in their online search tool as well as the links to clan websites. Therefore, the detail provided in this book will not be found on COSCA’s website. I continued with the effort to publish this edition because the details it provides on names associated with certain clans, families, houses, or confederations are important pieces of information many need in order to understand how and why their names are connected to these Scottish family groups.

Finally, if you spend as much time as I do helping people research family names, but want to keep the volume of materials you haul around to an essential minimum, I believe you will find these core sources most useful.

SUGGESTED RESEARCH MATERIALS

Looking for good research materials? I suggest using these books in the order listed.

1. Scottish Clans and Their Associated Families by Robert J. Heston

2. The Surnames of Scotland, Their Origin, Meaning and History by George F. Black

3. The Book of Ulster Surnames by Robert Bell

4. Tartan For Me! by Philip D. Smith, Jr., PhD (great source for Scottish district connection)

5. The Surnames of Ireland by Edward MacLysaght

6. The Surnames of Wales by John and Sheila Rowlands

7. A Dictionary of English Surnames by P.H. Reaney and R.M. Wilson

8. Tartans, a three-volume set by William H. Johnston and Philip D. Smith, Jr., PhD

9. District Tartans by Gordon Teall of Teallach and Philip D. Smith Jr.

KEY DEFINITIONS AND TERM USAGE

◆ Definition of clan: A clan is a Lyon Court’s legally recognized group designated as a noble organization with an officially recognized chief, also a nobleman of Scotland.

◆ Definition of sept: A sept, cadet, or family of a Scottish clan is normally recognized as a group that lived, raised a family, and worked on a clan’s land. In exchange for their protection under the clan, these individuals demonstrated their fealty to the chief by defending the clan’s lands as the chief saw fit.

◆ The use of the prefix Mac: While many family names have prefixes such as M, Ma, Mc, O’, Mac, and Mack, each of these prefixes all mean son of. Therefore, for the purposes of expediting research and reducing the number of names, all prefixes, except O’ and Mack have been converted to Mac.

◆ Clan affiliation versus district: Not all persons of Scottish heritage belonged to clans, nor do they currently. Persons with no clan or large family affiliations were either inhabitants of the Lowlands and Borders of Scotland or towns not reliant on clan protection. Most inhabitants of the Highlands were indeed clan members, either by blood or by adoption into the clan as a sept. Most Lowland or Border clans refer to themselves as houses and not clans (e.g., the House of Bruce, the House of Gordon).

◆ Clan confederations: Besides marriage connecting a name to a clan, there were times in Scottish history where several clans merged into a more powerful confederation to defend their lands and people. They did not surrender their clan identities. In these cases, as in the case of the Clan Chattan confederation, family names are associated with many clans and listed separately. This is true for those families from Clans Davidson, Farquharson, MacBean, MacGillivray, MacIntyre, MacKintosh, MacLean, MacPhail, MacPherson, MacThomas, MacQueen, and Shaw. This is how you will see the names found in a clan and a confederation displayed in this book:

*From the section in this book Key to Footnotes:

(b)—This family may have a traceable connection to the Clan Chattan and may also become members of this society.

KEY TO FOOTNOTES

Three asterisks (***)—indicates a clan with a clan chief.

Two asterisks (**)—indicates an armigerous clan (one without a chief).

(a)—All listed sept name prefixes of M’/Ma/Mc have been converted to Mac. Researchers should check name spellings both with and without these prefixes.

(b)—This family may have a traceable connection to the Clan Chattan and may also become members of this society.

(c)—Some regions for Clan Donald requests a prospective member provide proof of family relationship contrary to national position.

(d)—Surnames beginning with J or G and followed by any vowel except o and followed by rd are acceptable.

(e)—It is known that some Morrisons, on the Isle of Harris, adopted the name Smith.

(f)—Anything with Michael in it.

(g)—Sept list compiled/corroborated from clan website.

(h)—Carruthers has been a traditional Bruce sept, but today has its own chief and is its own clan.

(i)—A clan having a chief but having a long historic relationship with this clan.

(j)—Clan Blair has no chief at this time and will always be welcome and protected by the Grahams as part of their family if they so desire.

(k)—Only families from Aberdeenshire.

(l)—To Clan MacLachlan, the MacEwens are a protectorate but commonly referred to as a sept as well. In any case, Clan MacLachlan considers them family.

(m)—A Gilchrist, son of Aedh, was the father of Gilpatrick, whose son Lochlan Mor is credited with founding the MacLachlan clan.

(n)—Not all persons bearing Tom or Thomas patronymics belong to Clan MacTavish. As Tom, Thomas, Tommie, and similar given names were widespread, and those given names often became surnames at a later date.

(De)—Denmark of this line.

(Du)—Dutch of this line.

(F)—French of this line.

(I)—Irish of this line.

(It)—Italian of this line.

(No)—Norwegian of this line.

(NS)—No septs, but variation of clan name allowed by clan/association.

(Nz)—New Zealand of this line.

(Sp)—Spanish of this line.

(1)—Sept list used to compile names.

(2)—Sept list unavailable. This list is compiled from various publications or online web sources.

(3)—Those Stewarts of Scottish descent from Fothergill are entitled to wear the Oliphant tartan and to link themselves to Clan Oliphant today.

(4)—This spelling variation was found on previous sept lists for this clan in 2004, 2006, and 2007, but does not appear in 2021. Persons researching will need to check with this affiliated clan to see if this spelling variation is still accepted.

(5)—Those Thanes of Scottish descent from Dunning are entitled to wear the Oliphant tartan and to link themselves to Clan Oliphant today.

(6)—Those Barclays of Scottish descent of Strowie are entitled to wear the Oliphant tartan and to link themselves to Clan Oliphant today.

(7)—Those Blairs of Scottish descent of Balthayock are entitled to wear the Oliphant tartan and to link themselves to Clan Oliphant today.

(8)—Those Bruces of Scottish descent of Copillindy/Cultmalundie are entitled to wear the Oliphant tartan and to link themselves to Clan Oliphant today.

(9)—Those Fernys of the ilk of Scottish descent are entitled to wear the Oliphant tartan and to link themselves to Clan Oliphant today.

(10)—Clan Gregor accepts persons bearing this name and those with a maternal descent from an eligible person.

(11)—Persons bearing this name who can show evidence of descent or a family tradition of MacGregor.

(14)—Previously provided in printed sept list in 2006 but not listed on the website in 2021.

(15)—The MacMasters (Clann a’Mhaister) is descended from MacMaster, a MacInnes chief of Ardgour.

(16)—MacNeish, or MacNaosis in Gaelic, is derived from the Irish Mac Aonghusa or Mac Aonghais; the Antrim name Neeson in Gaelic is MacAonghusa or MacAonghais.

(17)—Where name originates from within Scotland.

(18)—Those Fotheringhams of Scottish descent of Prowie are entitled to wear the Oliphant tartan and to link themselves to Clan Oliphant today.

(19)—Those Gorthys of the ilk of Scottish descent are entitled to wear the Oliphant tartan and to link themselves to Clan Oliphant today.

(20)—Those Mercers of Scottish descent of Innerpefry are entitled to wear the Oliphant tartan and to link themselves to Clan Oliphant today.

(21)—Those Morays of Scottish descent of Abercairney are entitled to wear the Oliphant tartan and to link themselves to Clan Oliphant today.

(22)—Those Rattrays of the ilk of Scottish descent are entitled to wear the Oliphant tartan and to link themselves to Clan Oliphant today.

(23)—Those Rollos of Scottish descent of Duncrub are entitled to wear the Oliphant tartan and to link themselves to Clan Oliphant today.

(24)—Those Rollos of Scottish descent of Fyndone are entitled to wear the Oliphant tartan and to link themselves to Clan Oliphant today.

(25)—There are only five (5) septs in Clan Leslie. There are a variety of spellings for each sept name.

(26)—This listing of names was found on previous family lists for this clan in 2004, 2006, and 2007. No supporting information can be