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'Septs' and historically related tartans

by Dr Nick Fiddes

Traditionally, tartans were worn not only by people sharing the same family name, but also by many other families living in the same area or who gave allegiance to the same clan chief or other authority.

Clan septs are surnames that are historically associated with a particular Scottish clan. These surnames may have originated from individuals who were part of the clan or who were allied with the clan. Over time, these surnames became associated with the clan and are now considered to be "septs" of the clan.

Wearing a clan tartan is a way to show one's affiliation with a particular Scottish clan. Traditionally, only members of a clan were allowed to wear their clan's tartan. However, over time, the rules around wearing tartan have become more relaxed, and it is now generally acceptable for anyone with a connection to a clan to wear their tartan.

One way to have a connection to a clan is through a sept surname. If a person has a surname that is associated with a particular clan as a sept, they may be considered a member of the clan and be allowed to wear the clan's tartan. However, the extent to which a sept is considered part of a clan can vary depending on the clan and the particular circumstances.

Wearing a tartan does not necessarily mean that a person is a member of a particular clan. It is possible for someone to wear a tartan simply because they like the design or have a connection to Scotland more broadly. However, for those who do have a connection to a particular clan, wearing their tartan can be a way to show pride in their Scottish heritage and their connection to a specific community.

How the CLAN site presents this information

To help you identify tartans your family might historically have worn, we will often list a choice of names that may be historically related to yours. This could be because the name you have searched for is a recognised Sept (family enjoying the protection) of another clan or family. Or it might be that your name is strongly associated with a particular locality where one or more tartans are historically prevalent. Or we may also list variant spellings, including Gaelic spellings, which might not otherwise be obvious.

Obviously, this is not an exact science. We do our best to make our information historically accurate. But our advice is meant to help you, not to give you definitive family history, which sadly isn't possible. On the whole however, if your surname (or any of your forebears' surnames) was common in a clan's territory or an area of Scotland, it's quite likely you have family roots there.

If in doubt, just ask our customer service team. A computer database can never be complete, and they are expertly trained to advise you about tartans that you might consider if none exists for your surname.

 



Categories How to find your family or clan tartan Find tartans by name
Tags fabrics finding tartan