Joe Coastal Carolina USA. Joe, I have been reading your emails concerning the history and naming of the Irish/Scotch/Scotch Irish people. While my main focus is my Patterson family line I am also studying culture, language and clans. In fact, my study started with the confusion over the clan descendancy of the Pattersons. Recently I compared the following ideas: (1) One of the Farquharson genealogies states that the Patersons in the North are descended from Patrick, grandson of Ferquhard from whom the Clan Farquharson take there name. (2) The Paterson's are a sept of Clan MacLaren (Clann MacLabhruinn). It is believed that the members of the clan are descendants of Lorn, son of Fergus MacErc, founder of the kingdom of Dalriada, who arrived in Argyle about 503 AD. The clan seat is in Balquhidder on the eastern end of Loch Voil. The clan slug horn (this is where the term slogan comes from) is Creag un Turic (The Boars Rock) which is a small crag just east and above Balquhidder, this is where the clan gatherings were held. It is also believed that the Clan MacLaurin is also of Clan MacLaren, ancient landowners of the isle of Tiree. (3) Your name Patterson emerged as a Scottish Clan or family in their territory of Ross Shire where they were recorded as a family of great antiquity seated with manor and estates in that shire. Originally the Clan Phaedirean located their home territories on the north side of Loch Fyne. This name was anglicized about the 13th century to Paterson. By the 16th century they had acquired lands to the south in Glasgow and they became prominent businessmen of Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Glasgow. (4) For the next two or three centuries the surname of Patterson played an important role in the highlands and in the affairs of Scotland. However, typical of the ancient conflict between highlander and Edinburgh, many ancient highland clans have still not officially been recognized as clans by the Lord Lyon of Scotland. If, in fact, the Patterson Clan, Clan Phaedirean, originated in "Ross Shire" (which I take to mean the northwest lands of Ross); then it makes sense that the clan would become aligned with the Farquharsons and the MacLarens as they moved from the lands of Ross southward through the lands of MacLaren and finally to Glascow and Ayrshire. This is a different idea from the implication that the various "Patterson" groups sprung up randomly as descendants of many Patricks. Does the anglic word Paterson derive from the word gaelic word Phaedirean or does Paterson mean sons of many Patricks (MacPatrick or MacPhadrik)? Thanks for any light you can shed. John Patterson Chesapeake, VA