Clan

Clan (Gaelic, clann, “offspring”), group of families who claim common ancestry. Although clans have existed for many years in all parts of the world, the term came to refer to those groups originating in Scotland and Ireland in about ad 1000, and today is applied almost exclusively to communities in Scotland living in specific areas and distinguishable by their surnames. Generally the members of a Scottish clan assume the same surname and adopt a particular tartan, a distinctive plaid pattern used for socks, kilts, and capes. Clans like the Campbells figured prominently in the history of Scotland and Ireland, and various rebellions caused the English government to set about breaking up the clans. Their members were disarmed, and they were not supposed to wear distinctive costumes.

Anthropologists sometimes use the term clan when referring to various groups of indigenous people throughout the world. In this usage, it describes a group of people who can trace their descent from a common ancestor, or who identify with a common totem or animal.