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The process for finding your family or clan tartan begins with researching the surname or clan and looking that name up in a specific tartan database or family finder. Just type a name, and you’ll be able to view all the tartans connected to your family or related clans so you can pick the perfect pattern for reflecting your heritage. This is the ultimate way to reunite with your clan’s design!
Tartans can even differ within a family; there may be several patterns or different spellings on the table. If your last name doesn’t appear on the list, you can also search related family names or historical connections, such as septs, for additional possibilities. You can also choose a tartan that you like the look of, whether or not there is a specific family connection.
With thousands of tartans and new ones constantly being added, the search for your family’s official plaid can be simple if you know where to look. Online tools will often offer images, histories and product options to help you bring your clan tradition to life.
How to Find Your Family Tartan
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Understanding the Importance of Family Tartans
Family tartans are patterns which symbolise a Scottish clan or family. They are a focus for history and identity that links people with their Scottish heritage.
Many families do not have their own tartan, and having the same surname as a tartan is no guarantee of an ancestor in common.
Traditionally, tartans are associated with clans, which are communities of families.
These designs were meant to be worn as a mark of allegiance or community. Being able to identify with your family tartan is a link to the past – your ancestors’ place, time and sense of self.
Online Tools and Family Tartan Finders
Today, there are many online resources designed to help find your family tartan by surname or clan. These tools allow users to search databases of thousands of registered tartans.
Some key features include:
- Search by surname or clan name
- Filter results by colours or patterns
- Preview fabric swatches
The time-honoured sites range from official Scottish registers to commercial family tartan finders. They usually include links to purchase kilts, scarves or fabric samples in your tartan.
With these tools, you don’t need to ask questions like ‘What is my family tartan?’ or ‘How do I find my family tartan?’ A lot of databases are available to search, and even some offer free as well as paid downloads of old and new tartan designs.
Dealing With Name Variations and Historical Changes
Family surnames can undergo gradual spelling changes or anglicisation. This can make a tartan associated with your family name harder to discover.
When searching, look for variations of your last name. For instance, MacGregor becoming McGregor or a Gaelic-tagged name having an English variation. Clans also spread, so they had branches with their own tartan.
To do this, use generic search terms and review those Clan names which may be related. Other resources of tartan finders propose names that sound alike or with common origins. This will increase the likelihood that you will find your family’s tartan.
Exploring Family Tartans and Scottish Heritage
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Types and Variations of Tartans by Clan
Tartans differ from one another across clans, families and regions. Many Scottish clans have one or more official tartans, for example, a modern and an ancient tartan, often that of the Chief/founder and his spouse. These differences are expressed in varieties like old, new or low-toned palettes.
Certain tartans are for chiefs or even for branches within a clan. Others may be “district” tartans tied to specific parts of Scotland.
Significance of Kilt Colours and Patterns
There is a reason for kilt colours and patterns; they represent attributes or historic connections. For instance, you might find green as the colour of forests or fecund land, and blue as the colour of loyalty or water. Red may symbolise bravery or conflicts fought.
Designs are intersecting horizontal and vertical bands in a grid-like pattern. Their patterns and the number of lines drawn create unique designs that represent different families.
Genealogy and Its Role in Finding Tartans
One of the most important means of looking up the right family tartan is via genealogy research. Tracing your family tree helps put surnames together with clans or particular Scottish areas. This is often the best method for finding the correct tartan of an ancestor.
Clan histories, official tartan registries and online tartan finders are available to help pairs of surnames with specific tartans. It is sometimes the case that a surname is not clan-specific, and receiving knowledge of lineage or area further limits the possibilities.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I find my clan tartan?
Begin by looking up your family name and the Scottish clan with which it is associated. Refer to official repositories of tartan and clan history for relevant patterns.
In the absence of a specific clan tartan, choose any tartan relating to the geographies associated with your ancestors.
Where can I look up Scottish clan tartans?
You should look at the Scottish Register of Tartans. It contains the official records of tartans and checks clan names and patterns.
Additional sources are the Scottish Tartans Authority and a whole host of tartan finder utilities online.
If I am of Scottish descent but don’t know my clan, can I still wear a tartan?
The short answer is that there’s no hard and fast rule about which tartan anybody can wear. Some people select a district tartan associated with the area their family comes from (or can choose), or general ones designed for anybody.
It is considered appropriate to wear any of the Scottish tartans.
What do the various tartan patterns and colours mean?
Each tartan design, or sett, features colours and stripes with particular significance. Frequently, they stand for clans, families or areas.
Colours may have an archetypal significance or relate to the colours of local flora, historical and emblematic references to important events, or moral qualities borne by the clan members.
How can I be sure of a family plaid in which I have an interest?
See if the tartan is registered with the Scottish Register of Tartans or has been approved by the Court of the Lord Lyon.
If you match the thread count and design to official records, this can help verify that the tartan is authentic.