Caledonianly speaking, who ami I?

[O'Searcaigh]

How is one’s Scottish “lineage,” “identity” or “affiliation” determined? I have been wondering about this for over six decades -- ever since I was told the family names of my grandparents -- who argued about it “on my behalf” until their deaths. My patralineal surname, “Sharkey” is Irish as descended from the old “O’Searcaighs” of county Tyrone, Ulster. My paternal grandmother was a Mac Intyre (and damned proud of it!); my mother was a Boyd and at least as equally proud! So, I was told I was “Irish” by the men of the family and “Scottish” by the women, and “Scots-Irish” by relatives who wished to make peace. Add to this the fact that I wrote my dissertation on David Hume (to whom I feel even more related philosophically speaking than to any of my family) and my sense of “Scottishness” becomes even more confused. So, to which, if any, Scottish heritage or tradition would I be considered most closely related? As a believer in the “Wear what you like because you like it” kilt philosophy, I adopted an “unidentified” tartan for my current formal kilt for no other reason than I liked the set and colors. However, were I to decide to purchase another tailor made kilt, I’d like to know if there is a tartan that would be more “historically” or “traditionally” suited to me than another. Thanks y'all.

[piperdbh]

Generally, clan-ness is passed from father to son. In your case, I assume your father was a Sharkey, and so was his father, and so forth, so that would be the "usual" way to trace clan affiliation. However, in the US of A, there is no really strict requirement that you trace your line patrilineally. You can join any clan you wish, and if you want to wear the tartans of any of the names in your genealogy, go right ahead. My maternal grandmother was my link to a Scottish name, so I wear the tartan of that clan.
Helpful?

[Laird_M]

Just to murkify the water even more...

The UK government has decided that ones ethnicity is NOT necessarily derived from your ancestry for purposes of census data.

If, for example, you were born in Pakistan, but emigrated to, let's say Fife, when you were 3yrs old and so were brought up in Scotland, learnt to speak Gaelic at school, and consider yourself Scottish as that's all you've ever known, you could legitimately classify yourself as Scottish. So 'officially', by extrapolation, you could decide to claim whichever of the Clans you felt the strongest tie to.

I know with my own clan, MacLeod, even if you are not a blood relative, but your family sought service and protection with them, you could legitimately claim ties to the clan.

[Joshua]

And here's the other monkeywrench...

My last name is Davis, and while Welsh, it is listed as a sept of the Scottish Clan Davidson...

I have Scottish Ancestors on my Father's side by way of Urquhart and McIntyre, and Scottish Ancestors on my Mother's side by way of Bruce and McKaye. These ancestors were not Ulster "Scots-Irish" but American transplants in the mid-1700's directly from Scotland. These are not very direct lines (matriarchal on all accounts, all Scots women married into my mostly Welsh and English Patriarchal family)

But I wear the badge/tartan Davidson, and am a member of that clan. Why? Because when I started my journey I assumed my name was a sept of Davidson, so I learned the clan history, motto, etc... joined the society, and feel at home with this particular clan.

I had a bit of an identity crisis when I discovered my surname had no Scottish origin whatsoever, but then realized that my clan was more than welcome to adopt me, and I them... regardless of who my ancestors procreated with.

[ctbuchanan]

This debate has come up many times, with a variety of opinions. I suppose mine is as valid as any. The consensus seems to be if you were in Scotland and claiming affiliation with the Chief of a Clan, you would need to follow your father's line. Which in your case would not lead you to any clan.
BUT - you are in the USA where our desire to explore and experience our roots does not usually include a "formal" wish to affiliate with a Chief, but more to affiliate with a clan society or association that our family has some connection to. For example, my father was a Yorkshireman with an Irish surname, hence no clan. My mother was born in Glasgow and a member of the Clan Buchanan. All of our lives we were told we were Buchanans and we learned at a very early age not to argue with mum :-). So we are now into the 4th generation that she left behind her and we all participate in the Clan Buchanan Society Int'l as members and wear the tartan proudly.

If your closest relative with a Scottish affiliation is your mother, I would suggest that you honor her by choosing her Clan which has its own tartan, but also is associated with the MacDonald, which by coincidence is also associated with MacIntyre. So it would seem to me that you could be safe to wear a MacDonald tartan which appears to have affiliation with both Boyd and MacIntyre. And if anyone asks, you can tell them proudly that you do so to honor your mother and grandmother. Or as an alternative wear the Tyrone tartan. Or BETTER yet get both and wear them with pride.

I hope that doesn't muddy the waters too badly.

[PEEDYC]

With the surname Corrance which I understand to be of French derivation and a family tree I can trace back to 1790 in Scotland I obviously have no direct clan affiliation but I wear Campbell tartan as I have many of them in my tree.

[O'Callaghan]

As always, I used the Tartan Ferret to search your various family names. Boyd gives me a Boyd tartan, as well as various MacDonald and Stewart tartans. Everything else points to either Tyrone or Ulster.

As a cheapskate, I'd tend towards Stewart tartans, being most readily available and therefore cheapest, LOL!

[Peter Crowe]

I am going to muddy the waters more (although that is not my intent). My surname is Crowe (which is a name affiliated with Clan Ross, although as I understand it not strictly a sept), but although I am Scots born (from Glasgow) and raised (Uddingston, Lanarkshire and Hawick, Roxburghshire) my paternal grandfather was an Englishman from the Bournemouth-Poole area on the Hampshire and Dorset county boundary. However, his maternal grandfather was a Scot from Paisley called Tennant.

My other three grandparents were Scots as far back as we can trace, My maternal grandfather's surname was Wilson (Clan Gunn born in Galashiels, Selkirkshire), my paternal grandmother was a Lyall (Clan Sinclair born in Macduff, Banffshire, and her mother was a Mackay), and my maternal grandmother was a Raine (from Glasgow but her grandfather came from Coldstream in Berwickshire on the Scottish side of the Border although my understanding is that Raine is an old Northumbrian name from the other bank of the Tweed).

The point I am trying to make is that we (even those of us from Scotland) are a lot less ethnically homogeneous than is often assumed if you research back far enough. I feel that my sense of ethnic-cultural Scottishness is the strongest of many identities I have simultaneously (because it is the most localised), but I am also British, and European (by birth, culture, and the nationality laws of the UK/EU), and American (by residence and legal naturalisation).

I wear Ross kilts because of the Crowe-Ross connection which I believe was originally one of feudal protection with no kinship ties. Many clan members owed loyalty to a particular chief in this way although they were not strictly tied by consanguinity with the house of their Clan Chief. For my own part I actually prefer the Gunn tartan to any of the Ross ones and were I to purchase another kilt or trews that is the direction in which I would be most inclined to go (on aesthetic grounds and also because I was named Peter after my maternal grandfather). I primarily wear the kilt because it was a tradition amongst the men of my family (my paternal grandfather excepted), father, maternal grandfather, great-uncles, uncles, and cousins.

Sorry I can not be more definitive on this, but it is an honest answer from a native-born Scot from a largely kilt-wearing family.

[Dale Seago]

So it would seem to me that you could be safe to wear a MacDonald tartan which appears to have affiliation with both Boyd and MacIntyre. And if anyone asks, you can tell them proudly that you do so to honor your mother and grandmother. Or as an alternative wear the Tyrone tartan. Or BETTER yet get both and wear them with pride.

YES!! As long as you don't wear both at once. Or white hose.

[O'Searcaigh]

Thank you all sincerely for your kind responses. They confirmed some things and taught me still new ones. I especially appreciated learning of the U.K.'s stance on "ethnicity" and that even resident Scots are not as "pure" (clan-wise) as some might think. I also got reminded that I have "Davidsons" in the family line as well -- all to muddy things even further. Practically speaking thank you for pointing out the McDonald and Stewart connections. I actually like the "McDonald Flora Plaid" a great deal and indeed, Stewart tartans are no doubt the most easily available and apparently among the least expensive -- also "a great deal." Thank you all again -- and Oh yes, Dale -- I don't have any white hose, only blue, green, gray, red, tan and "natural," which is more than white enough for me ;-)