Tartan finder: find your clan by surname

How to find my tartan

Type your surname and the tartan finder shows the clans it links to. Results also list clan tartans held in the Scottish Register of Tartans.

The finder covers 2,598 surnames and 332 clans and families. Of those surnames, 2,402 link to at least one clan. Register tartan names are listed for 194 clans and families.

Coverage of common names is high. Of the 100 most common surnames in the National Records of Scotland 1995 list, 90 link to a clan.

Scottish clan by surname: clan names and septs

A surname links to a clan in one of two ways. It may be the clan's own name, such as Campbell or Scott. Or it may be a sept, a family name linked to the clan by tradition.

Some very common names are septs rather than clan names. Reid, 11th in the 1995 list, is a sept of Robertson. Taylor, 13th, links to Cameron.

A sept link is a traditional association, not proof of descent. Many surnames arose in several places, so a link tells you about custom rather than your family tree.

What is my tartan if my name links to several clans

In the finder, 506 surnames link to more than one clan. These common names, with their place in the 1995 list, show the spread:

• Smith (1st): Clan Chattan, MacDonald of Clanranald and Macpherson.
• Brown (2nd): Boyd, Douglas, Farquharson, Lamont and MacMillan.
• Clark (14th): Cameron, Clan Chattan, Mackintosh and Macpherson.
• Mitchell (15th): Carruthers, Innes, MacDonald of Clanranald and Stewart.
• Paterson (18th): Campbell, Lamont, MacLaren and Paterson.
• Young (19th): Douglas, Lamont, Stewart and Young.

Family history is the best guide to choosing between them. Each clan in the finder shows its home region, which can match where your family lived.

Some names have no clan link at all. Miller, 22nd in the 1995 list, is one. A district tartan or a universal tartan is the usual choice then.

Clan mottos and plant badges

Each clan result shows the clan's motto and plant badge where one is on record. The finder holds a motto for 285 clans and a plant badge for 111.

Branches and Clan Chattan

Large clans often have branches with their own tartans. MacDonald has four branches in the finder: Clanranald, Keppoch, Sleat and Glengarry.

Clan Chattan is a confederation of clans rather than a single family. Its members in the finder include Mackintosh, Macpherson, Davidson, Farquharson, MacThomas and Shaw. Smith and Clark link to Clan Chattan as well as to member clans.

Mac and Mc surnames

The finder treats Mac, Mc and M' as the same prefix. MacDonald and McDonald return the same five MacDonald clans and branches.

The records count each spelling as a separate name. In the 1995 list, MacDonald is 9th and McDonald is 25th. McLean is 46th, ahead of MacLean at 92nd.

Who wears which tartan: common custom

Who wears which tartan is mostly a matter of custom. These are the customs most often followed:

• People wear the tartan of their surname's clan, or of a clan their name is a sept of.
• Descent through either parent counts. Many people wear their father's clan tartan, and their mother's as a second, such as on a sash.
• Members of a clan society often wear that clan's tartan.
• Some clans ask people outside the clan to seek permission before wearing a chief's or personal tartan.

District and universal tartans

District tartans belong to a place rather than a family. Examples include Lennox, Galloway, Lochaber, Strathearn, Edinburgh and Isle of Skye. By custom, anyone with a link to the area may wear one, and in practice they are worn widely.

Universal tartans have no clan tie. Black Watch (Government), Flower of Scotland, Pride of Scotland, Caledonia, Jacobite and Highland Granite are often named. Royal Stewart is also sold and worn widely. By custom, Balmoral is kept for the Royal Family.

Modern, Ancient, Weathered and Muted tartans

These are colour versions of the same sett, the pattern of stripes. A clan tartan in Ancient colours and in Modern colours is one design. Ancient is also called Old Colours, and Weathered is also called Reproduction.

Hunting, Dress and branch tartans are different designs, so the finder lists them by name. Campbell, for example, has Campbell Hunting, Campbell Dress #1 and branch tartans such as Campbell of Cawdor.

The Scottish Register of Tartans

The Scottish Register of Tartans is the official national register of tartan designs. National Records of Scotland maintains it under the Scottish Register of Tartans Act 2008.

Searching the register is free, and threadcount details are released on request. The finder uses its clan and family entries only. Personal, corporate and fashion tartans are left out.

Quick answers

How do I find my clan tartan?

Enter your surname in the finder. It shows each clan your name links to, as a clan name or a sept. Each result lists that clan's register tartans.

What if my surname is not a clan name?

It may be a sept, a name linked to a clan by tradition. Reid links to Robertson and Taylor to Cameron. In all, 2,402 of the 2,598 surnames in the finder link to a clan.

Can a surname belong to more than one clan?

Yes. 506 surnames in the finder link to more than one clan. Brown links to five: Boyd, Douglas, Farquharson, Lamont and MacMillan.

Are MacDonald and McDonald the same clan?

Yes. Mac, Mc and M' count as the same prefix. Both spellings return the same MacDonald clans and branches.

Can I wear a tartan if my name has no clan?

By custom, yes. District tartans such as Lochaber or Galloway are widely worn. So are universal tartans such as Black Watch or Flower of Scotland.

What is the difference between Modern and Ancient tartan?

They are colour versions of the same sett, not different tartans. Weathered and Muted are two more colour versions of the same pattern.

Is there an official register of tartans?

Yes. The Scottish Register of Tartans is the official national register. National Records of Scotland maintains it under the Scottish Register of Tartans Act 2008.