Finding "Your" Tartan

[davedove]

I was pondering the question of people having a link to a tartan before they would wear it. So I decided to just look at my own links to tartans to maybe help others see how easy it is to find a tartan. Now I’m not going to follow the reasoning that you have to have the surname to wear the tartan. While I respect that point of view, I don’t share it.

OK, my own surname is Dove. While from all my research, it seems my Dove line is from England, there is a Dove surname in Scotland. There is no specific Dove tartan, but one source of the Dove name is as a variation on Duff. So, that is a link to the different Macduff tartans.

Also, the Dove name is listed as one of the septs of the Buchanan clan, thus a link to that tartan.

My father’s mother is a McKean, which is a variation of Macian, a link to that tartan.

The Macians are a sept of the Macdonalds, so there is a link to that tartan.

One of my grandmother’s ancestors was a Cahoon, a variation of Colquhoun, another tartan. By the way, this man was one of the first Cahoon's in North Carolina and rather prolific at that, so if you have a Cahoon ancestor from NC we could very well be related.

That is just a quick look at one side of my family. I haven’t found any Scottish blood yet on my mother’s side, but it may be there as well.

My point here is that with just a little research I have found five different names. If you are in the United States, like most Americans you could probably find just as many.

And of course, this includes only Scottish names. There are also Welsh and Irish name tartans. And that doesn’t even begin to address the many national, district, state, and military tartans. So if you need a link to a tartan, just a little research may give you many options.

Then, as many have said before, if you still can’t find a link, wear whatever tartan you like.

[cormacmacguardhe]

I was told by my grandmother that because of marriages between families we were "entitled" to wear not just MacQuarrie but could also wear Fletcher and/or Shaw. Because of ancient ties to Clan Alpin some would say I could wear any related tartans. I do subscribe to the belief that you can wear what you want as long as you respect the tartan and what it stands for.

[Mike n NC]

With links to Scotland on both sides of the family, I started looking. I quit keeping track after figuring out that I am related in some way to 200 or so families. Guess we were a proliffic bunch.
There is a story in the family that my grandfather paid a guy $50 to look up the family history. Cost him another $500 to get it buried again.

Mike

[KiltedCodeWarrior]

Mike, LOL! I have some family relationships like that!

[Livingston]

Let's see....

Livingston - that one's easy.
Also a sept of Stewart of Appin (there's several tartans), MacDougall (several more)
On my Mother's side, she's a Walker (one), related to MacGregor's (several more)

Who knows how many others. I can't afford all of these yet!!

Oh well, time for another

[Robin]

Around 1690 some "foreigner from the Isles" (?) registered himself on the Dutch island of Walcheren...part of the Zeeland province...first recorded as Loureis. The family name changed several times (probably because most were illiterate, they had to say their name and the civil servant wrote down what he heard)...it ended up as Lous

The "foreigner from the Isles" most likely came ashore in Veere...a trade harbor town with the exclusive rights for the trade with Scotland. The town had a Scottish trade post and even a Scottish church...so he might have been a Scot, but that's not certain.

Loureis could have been: Lewis, Laurence, Lawrie, someone from the Isle of Lewis, someone from whatever island, or even someone from Louth or Laois (Ireland).

It's a dead end...so no clan for me :-?

Not a big deal...

Enough Tartans to choose from :grin:

The Veere tartan ITI No:2670 is for sure "my" tartan!

Others: Scottish District and General tartans and several Dutch tartans.

Next!

[AckZel]

And we're all real men... That's a link to every damn tartan

[MacMullen]

"My" tartans:

MacMillan (on my mother's side, McMullen)
Clergy Tartans (I'm a Lutheran Pastor)
German National Tartan (90% German heritage)

U.S. Army

Then, of course, there are the state tartans:
Minnesota
Texas
Colorado
Michigan
Wisconsin
South Dakota doesn't have a tartan, as far as I know.

And, of course:
United States Bicentennial

Then, there's also a disputed connection between the MacMillan Clan and the Buchanen Clan, so I suppose I could wear that one, if I want to spread the lie that the MacMillan's are a sept of the Buchanens. ;)

I'd like to have a kilt in the of the Clergy tartans, but I think the next kilt is going to be in the "MacMillan Black Modern " tartan.

[Steeplechase]

With links to Scotland on both sides of the family, I started looking. I quit keeping track after figuring out that I am related in some way to 200 or so families. Guess we were a proliffic bunch.
There is a story in the family that my grandfather paid a guy $50 to look up the family history. Cost him another $500 to get it buried again.

Mike

I see your grandfather found the Robinsons.;)

[davedove]

There is a story in the family that my grandfather paid a guy $50 to look up the family history. Cost him another $500 to get it buried again.

"I swear, I found that horse right before I left the old country."