Septs & Allied Families

The following is a list of surnames traditionally associated with Clan Lamont. Many of these names are also associated with other Scottish clans, families, and regions, and the presence of a surname on this list does not necessarily, by itself, establish a connection to Clan Lamont. Those researching their family history should examine genealogical and historical records to determine whether their particular family has a documented connection to Clan Lamont or to the Cowal peninsula of Argyll, the ancestral home of the clan.

At first consideration, the commonly circulated list of sept names associated with Clan Lamont appears to contain more than eighty entries, an improbable number by any reasonable historical measure. Upon closer examination, however, it becomes clear that many of these entries are not distinct sept names, but rather represent variations in spelling, pronunciation, translation, and anglicization arising from the interplay of Gaelic, Scots, English, and Norse influences in Argyll and the surrounding region.

When these linguistic and orthographic variations are consolidated, the list can be reduced considerably to approximately 15 to 20 principal sept names, which is a more accurate and historically grounded representation of the surnames traditionally affiliated with Clan Lamont.