Clan Names

[Farlander]

How did Scottish clans traditionally get their name? I believe that in most cases, the name came from the first clan chief, but not always. For example, Gilchrist was the first chief of Clan MacFarlane way back in 1225. It was not until 1329 when Parlan (the great grandson of Gilchrist) became clan cheif, did the current clan name, 'MacFarlane' (son of Parlan) come about.

Are there other clans who's name does not come from the first chief?

Who decides a clan's name? Is it part of the charter (thus the Earl, Duke or King making the charter)
or
the chief that decides
or
something that the Lord Lyon comes up with
or
something else entirely?

Would the answers to my questions vary depending on the time being discussed?

Can anyone point me to a good reference explaining these things?

[Wompet]

I think the answer varies not on the time, but on the circumstances involved.
For example, the Clan Robertson has two names.
Donnachaidh (children of Duncan), which is either derived from either King Duncan I (father of King Malcolm Canmore, first of the Canmore kings) or Duncan the Stout (the first chief), I forget which.
Robertson is derived from Chief Robert the Grizzled, who captured the assassins of King James I. King James II rewarded the chief with a barony, after which the clan was referred to as Robertson.

For specific clans, you might want to check their web pages - it's usually in the clan history section.

[EagleJCS]

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[MacMillan of Rathdown]

Clan Scott's chief is the Duke of Buccleuch and Queensberry (the Buccleuch branch of the family is recognized as the most senior). When Buccleuch was first recognized as the Chief of Clan Scott isn't recorded in the info I have found so far.

Beccleuch (like Queensberry) is a title; Scott is His Grace's family name, in the same way that Merlin Hay, Earl of Erroll, is the Chief of Clan Hay. I believe the earliest record of the Scott surname dates to a charter circa 1120. Some time around 1300 Sir Richard Scott built his residence at Beccleuch and became known as Sir Richard Scott of Becculeuch. The Earldom of Becculeuch created in 1619, and elevated to a Dukedom in 1663.

[Stratherrick]

Many clan names are uncertain of their origins, my own being one of them!

Various explanations are given for us Frasers, including the suggestion that our Scoto-Norman ancestors did something with strawberries (fraise in French)!

What I do run with is that, for all the documentary evidence of us originally coming over from Anjou in Normandy with ol' Willy's rabble, the Frasers, as we have known them for the past thousand years, developed a distinctive Highland/Gaelic take on family/clan life that is separate from their forbears. That's not to deny the French in my roots, zut alors, non! It's more that the French connection is now just one part of the Fraser make up, as it is for a lot of clans. But, the way we've lived is more akin to the local Highlanders rather than the Normans.

Confused? I am!

Slainte

Bruce (Fraser)

[Farlander]

Thanks all, this is great! I would love to hear more stories of where various clans got their name. As I suspected, this is a really interesting and varied topic.

Is it correct to say that traditionally, official clans were formed by royal charter? I wonder if the clan name was typically part of the charter?

What about today? Is it correct that there are no longer royal clan charters? Still, I assume that there is an official way to register a clan (and its name and who the chief is and such). Is this done by the college of heralds through the Lord Lyon?

[gilmore]

Thanks all, this is great! I would love to hear more stories of where various clans got their name. As I suspected, this is a really interesting and varied topic.

Is it correct to say that traditionally, official clans were formed by royal charter? I wonder if the clan name was typically part of the charter?

What about today? Is it correct that there are no longer royal clan charters? Still, I assume that there is an official way to register a clan (and its name and who the chief is and such). Is this done by the college of heralds through the Lord Lyon?

The clans of the highlands and islands pre-date feudalism, and existed before the king's writ ran there. Hence, they were not formed by royal charter.

How to recognize a chief, and hence a clan, is set out here: http://www.lyon-court.com/lordlyon/241.html

[Sketraw]

Yes. For example, the first recorded instance of the patronymic (last name) 'Scot' - later 'Scott' to differentiate the family from the country - is from about 1107. When the clan was recognized as a clan is less clear. In the Borders, there's not as tight a relationship to clans as there is/was in the Highlands.

Probably became a Clan in the 1950's up till then it was probably known as a 'border family'.

[Sketraw]

http://www.lyon-court.com/lordlyon/241.html

To follow up on Gilmore - You can read the derbhfine procedure here http://www.clan-duncan.co.uk/clan-re...derbhfine.html

[EagleJCS]

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