History/timeline/old clans/ change of names

[sunny51]

I was just wondering if anyone knows at what period of time, people began to change their names from the old clans, to prevent persecution. I'm sure it happened quite early on as well as in more recent times.
I've reached a brick wall in 1745, around the Jacobite period, whilst researching our Brown line. My research would indicate that perhaps before 1745 - which is the earliest birthdate I have - this may have occurred.  Possibly MacMillan descendants became Brown in the area around Montrose/ Maryton/ Craig in Forfar/Angus.

Can anyone help with some basic history please.
Thankyou.

[Flattybasher9]

Info on the Sept "Brown".

http://www.clanmacmillan.org/

http://www.clanmacmillan.org/Septs.htm

Regards

Malky

[Guy Etchells]

Perhaps I should mention that a Clan or a Sept is simply a group of people who choose to follow a particular leader.

There is no requirement for anyone in a Clan or in a Sept (an English word, not to be confused with the Gaelic word Síol meaning "progeny" or "seed") to be related in anyway to the leader.
It may be that one is descended from a particular family, it may be that one is descended from another family that traditionally followed the leaders family or it may be one simply lived in the region where that particular Clan or the particular Sept were powerful and it made sense to follow that leader rather than go it alone.

A Clan is not a family grouping though it may contain family groupings. In the same manner a Sept is not a family grouping but may contain family groupings.
Cheers
Guy

[doddsie4]

    I know that "Mac" was Gaelic for "Son of".      Anyway, just to make sure I'd got that right, I typed into Google:  Does "Mac" mean "son of" in Gaelic?         Top of the list that came up was a broad explanation of name changes in Scotland, covering quite a long period of time.     I clicked on that and it is actually on Scotlands People site.      You might like a look at it.

    Added:  Also, if you google "Brown, Sept of Clan McMillan" and click the top item, a lot of information comes up about connections between Brown & McMillan.       Brown used to be Broun away back in time.

[GR2]

Why do you think your Browns might have been MacMillans? If you have traced a family of Browns back to the Montrose area in the mid 18th century, it is likely that they had been Browns for many years before. No family names were proscribed after 1745-46.

There are lots of books on clans full of Victorian invention. The idea that every person in Scotland belonged to a clan is not correct. Many clans supported the government during the Jacobite rebellions and there are thousands of MacMillans today whose ancestors did not think it necessary to change their name.

Unless you actually come across a record which specifically gives an alternative alias for an ancestor, assume the name had been Brown before 1745-46. If you cannot find more about the family before this period, it is more likely that you have not yet come across the record (e.g. something in the minutes of a kirk session or in estate papers) or that the record was never made or has not survived.