Ever wondered if your ancestors came from Scotland…and if
so, to what clan did they belong? Family
surnames passed from father to son to grandson were introduced in Scotland
in the 1100s by the Normans, but the general use of a common surname passed
down through the generations was not prevalent until the 16th
century, and even then they were not common in the Highlands and the isles
until well into the 18th century.
Some names were associated with a geographical place or
occupation, some on some unique quality or physical feature, and others were patronymic—derived
from a given name or family relationship.
Mac or Mc is a common Scottish surname prefix as it means “son of.”
These were the types of names that might change from
generation to generation depending on the father’s name. Adopting a common family surname was not
popular until the 15th and 16th centuries.
To find out if you have a Scottish heritage, talk to
relatives and consult family genealogies to compile a list of family surnames. Then search this Alphabetical
List of Scottish Names Associated with Clans and Families and Behind the Name –
Scottish Surnames.
You can also search through this massive list of Scottish
surnames at Family
Education Name Lab or simply type in the name in the search box to get
information on name meaning and origin.
Scottish clan comes from the
Gaelic clann meaning “family” and was
usually all the people who lived in particular geographic area under the
protection of a clan chief, who was officially registered in the court of Lord Lyon
King of Arms who controlled heraldry and the Coats of Arms registration in
Scotland. Therefore, everyone in a clan was
not necessarily related nor did they all have the same surnames.
Clan Tartans
The tartan
has long been associated with Scotland, especially the Highlanders. The woven patterns of interlocking stripes
originally were not associated with any particular clan until the 18th
century, and it was not until Wilson’s
Key Pattern Book of 1819 that some were even given a name.
At the Scottish Register of
Tartans, you can search by your clan name or Scottish surname. Use the standard search box here, where you
can get a broad search result by typing clan or surname in the tartan name
box.
There are several web-based “tartan finders,” but the
majority are commercial and are simply trying to sell you a tartan. So when you do a search…take the results with
a grain of salt as most don’t agree on a specific design for a name.
Coats of Arms
Likewise many Scottish clans and surnames are associated
with heraldry, or coats of arms. These
too have been registered through the Court of
the Lord Lyon since 1672. Interestingly,
Coats of Arms may only belong to a single person at a time and not an entire
family and are passed down only to the heirs of that person.
Coats of Arms were originally used by the military to
identify knights in battle, therefore no two persons could have the exact same
design for identification purposes.
When you are ready to start searching Scotland’s records,
then try Scotland’sPeople. Set up a free registration
to obtain a username and password, and start your free search. (Only include information in the registration
that is required.)
This official site will allow you to search and view
Coats of Arms and Wills and Testaments results for free, but there is a fee to
view the actual record and also a fee to view result listings of birth,
marriage, death, and baptism records.
If you want further searching tips, consult the National
Library of Scotland.
Postscript: My Scottish Family Research
The surname for one branch of my husband’s family is
McCaig. With the surname prefix “Mc,” I
was pretty certain we had a Scottish name in our lineage. Turns out the name is associated with the
clans Farquharson and McLeod. It is an
anglicized form of the Gaelic MacThaidhg,
meaning “son of Tadhg.” It also means
poet or philosopher.
Then I ran across this web article on MacCaig
with tons of information on family history, coats of arms, and tartans…until I
got to the bottom and read “Purchase Customized Products.” As I said…grain of salt!
Happy hunting…
P.S.S. I did locate the McCaig Tower in Oban, Scotland. The unfinished prominent tower (looking much like the Roman Colosseum) was built on a hillside overlooking the city by a wealthy, philanthropic banker named John Stuart McCaig between 1897 and 1902. (Note: still looking for a family tree branch to him!)
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| McCaig Tower in Oban, Scotland |
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