How does a name get added to a clan?

[Drac]

Afternoon folks,

Just a question on how the various names got added to the clans. My paternal grandmother was a Whyte and when starting checking out Scottish heritage I started with the Lamont clan.

Lately I was wondering how did family names get added to clan rolls? In my case my grandmother & grandfather are both 1st gen Americans from Canada.

Thx,
Jim

[JimB]

Afternoon folks,

Just a question on how the various names got added to the clans. My paternal grandmother was a Whyte and when starting checking out Scottish heritage I started with the Lamont clan.

Lately I was wondering how did family names get added to clan rolls? In my case my grandmother & grandfather are both 1st gen Americans from Canada.

Thx,
Jim

I'm no expert, but I think in the old days, it was a simple as swearing allegience to a clan chief, giving him support and accepting his protection. That is, becoming part of his clan.

[Tobus]

Not an expert here either, but I've learned that it also had to do with their place of origin in many cases. My own ancestors, with the name Kilpatrick, lived in an area of Scotland by that name (it was apparently common for people to use their location as their last name). They were within the lands granted to a noble and thus became associated with that clan.

Septs of a clan may be associated by blood, allegiance, law, or other reasons. Some septs just happened to live on a clan's land and were nothing more than tenants.

[davidlpope]

The link below takes you to a good thread that discusses the concept of "septs", i.e. a family bearing a different surname who is allied to a clan.

http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/s...ighlight=septs

Cordially,

David

[Bruce Scott]

You may find this article of interest:

http://www.scotshistoryonline.co.uk/...lan-septs.html