I posted this in the genealogy forum but wanted to see what was said as far as the Clan forum as well.

I had someone helping me with my ancestry search and she uncovered that the Lowder namesake is actually Clan MacLeod. They hailed from the mountain region in the North of Scotland and made their way to Ireland. Apparently I’m Scots-Irish. She said we derived from Clan MacLeod. The Lowder and Haley blood is my mothers. Her maiden name was Lowder and her mother’s maiden name was Haley. According to my friend they both came from Clan MacLeod. Anyone have any info that they can share on these names and of Clan MacLeod?

Some general hints to keep in mind when doing your genealogy -

It is a paper chase. Without an unbroken trail of paper you do not yet have a genealogy. A genealogy is connecting a specific person to a specific place, at a specific time. It is far less about a name search or generalizations.

People's names change. Spelling was phonetic before people were literate. I have seen the same person's name, spelled three different ways on the same sheet of paper.

There is a reason it is called a 'family tree'. Genealogy is not a straight or single line. You have two parents - who each have two parents - who each have two parents, and so on and on. You have many, many lines of your ancestors that you can follow. If you go back just 5 generation -or about 100 years - you will have 1-2-4-8-16-32 grandparents, or separate lines, in your ancestry.

There is a lot of confusion over this uniquely N. American concept of "Scots-Irish". Just because someone in your family once lived in Ireland, and perhaps before that Scotland, does not always make you descended from the ethnic group of Ulster Scots.

Coming from, as you say, "the mountain region in the North of Scotland", is pretty vague. The Scottish MacLeods are usually thought of as coming from the islands off the west coast of Scotland. Skye, Uist, Harris etc. Can you connect a specific ancestor to a specific place at a specific time?

Family Genealogy and Clans are different.. some clans joined other Clans depending on where they lived, one to prevent from being killed, 2 for protection.. say a Farmer might help the clan with food and the Clan would help them with protection.. You wear the tartan of the Clan family you belong to, if you belong to a family. There can be many names of a Clan say Lowder/Mac(Son of) Loud.. the Loud Clan I guess haha with a bright Loud Yellow color tartan!! .. then also another name but they are just farmers near the Clan.. They sometimes help and fight with that Clan as well as they are protecting their family! So you find other family names (SEPTS) in Clans. Good luck in your family! It is fun to have a Clan Family at the festivals these days.. totally separate from Genealogy though a lot talk of Genealogy and you learn more! To chose a Clan to be with at the festival.. you usually chose your closest Scottish ancestor. . Scots would follow their fathers Clan first, if none or not near or active, they would follow their moms.. then on back to Grandparents to closest etc.. so if your dad is not Scottish or was family years back to a Clan, I would follow your moms Clan family name at the festivals and join in their tent, later maybe help, bring cookies and learn all about your Clan Family so you can let others know too! It may not be your thing to teach others, but you kind of start offering up details if you know it when people ask.. I love being part of Clan Families! My husband is Douglas I am a member, My father MacGregor which I joined first cause I knew I was MacGregor.. but I also later joined Clan Donnachaidh out west for all their super fun events as my Grandmother was a Reid which are Donnachaidh's :) So number one I mostly wear MacGregor and everyone knows that.. but many times I am at events in Clan Douglas tartan as I am helping my husbands Clan booth well ours pretty much as I do a lot! :) but hanging with the Donnachaidh's is fun here too! haha Find one, find a home at the festivals.. stop and hang out and sit with them and hang out you will learn more. It's not all about Genealogy, sometimes you need a little fun and more stories about family! :) They do have a MacLewer son of Lewer? Which with a brogue could sound Lowder.. try to follow your name given first though in research! :) Then you got MacGregors who all had to change their names in Northwest Scotland lol never know, he might have been Lowder so he changed his name? haha.. Not on the MacGregor list of known names though..

The Surnames of Scotland, Black, 1946 has no entry for Lowder. Lauder, however, is listed but this is a Lowland territorial name from Lauder in Berwickshire. Loweder is shown as a variant of Lauder.

The Clan MacLeod Society of Scotland does not include Lowder or Haley in it's Sept list here: http://www.clan-macleod-scotland.org.uk/septs

After looking up your name, it appears more Northern English. There were many Presbyterians in Northern England which maybe brought them to Northern Ireland, if they were Catholic it would be Southern Ireland.. as the religious wars were horrible to families, killing and or stripping women and beating them for their religion and raping, many were killed.. it was pretty bad! Your family could have worked with Scottish Clans as they migrated for work or the name could have been messed up.. They really messed up a lot of names coming to the US with their Irish and Scottish accents if they didn't have good schooling. It shows Lowders in Westmoreland England area. West of Northumberland area. Still Northern England though and not too far from the boarders in some areas. If working with Clan families in Scotland those boarder Clans were pretty tough! :) If you found them in Northern Scotland they could have migrated there for work, then on to Ireland, still all this time marrying and having children in those areas would make you part Scottish. I would work on your family tree and follow it.. There are Clan Maps and if you know a town in Scotland you were from.. maybe someone can start there with a Clan you might have been with.. Makes total sense one would mistakenly say you were a MacLeod as it is pronounced Loud and could think of it louder? lol. Or hey! Maybe they wrote it wrong by the sound? Never know.. and you are a Leod! a Leoder Leod! If we can't find you a Clan for your Scottish blood you can always get a kilt like they have on this website, or flower of Scotland kilt and they even had tartans in Northern Ireland for counties etc. Somebody help find him is Scottish families and a tartan! :) It's there somewhere. Sorry, late ramble I need to shorten my posts and not post so late haha :) Keep looking for those Scots! :) Haley is Irish, there were Irish Clans also Clan Hay had a Hayle pronounced Haley in their Clan as well! So easy to get these names all crazy eh?

On a quick search I see there are at least two different origins for the surname Lowder, most commonly English. Haley also has several different places of origin, with English and Scottish as the most common. Many names have been changed over the years, especially with spelling variations and immigration in many parts of the world. Lowder or Haley might have once been different names at one point (perhaps Lewer to Lowder), or they could be sending you in the wrong direction. I think that more research on the family tree will be needed to determine just where the claimed connection to clan MacLeod is.

On Wikipedia I see the surnames listed for clan MacLeod as:
Beaton, Betha, Bethune, Beton, Harald, Haraldson, Harold, Harrell, Harrold, Herrald, MacHarold, MacRalte, MacRaild, Andie, MacAndie, McCaskill, MacHandie, MacKande, MacKandy, Makcandy, MacCaig, MacCoig, MacCowig, MacCrivag, MacCuaig, MacKaig, MacQuigg, MacAlear, MacClewer, McClure, MacClure, MacLeur, MacLewer, MacLewis, Lewis, MacLur, MacLure, Clure, Cluer, Clewer, Cremmon, Crimmon, Griman, Grimman, Grimmond, MacCrimmon, MacCrummen, MacGrimman, MacGrymmen, MacRimmon, MacKilliam, MacKullie, MacWilliam, MacWilliams, MacWillie, MacWylie, McCullie, Williamson, Norman, Normand, Norris, Norval, Norwell, Tormud

Many of these name are also found in families that are not part of this clan. Most surnames have multiple origins, unfortunately knowing a family name is not the end all in identifying a family history that many people have claimed. The meaning of clan appears to have originally been extended family, then over time it became associated with the ownership of land with the clan chief as the land owner, and today it has shifted back toward extended family for most people.

I have personally come into issues like this many times researching my own family tree. I know it can be frustrating, and there are still several possibilities of what might have been that are without records on my mothers side of the family where the information just doesn't seem to add up.

I love the history of each clan. I will allotte more time in researching ancient clans.

A Young Chinese fellow was sitting with his father one evening and the OLD MAN, noticed his son was deep in thought

What seems to be the matter number one son asked the old gentleman

Father, replied the son, I am perplexed

So it seems, said the father, what is it that has caused you such perplexity

The young man looked at his father and asked...... ARE WE CHINESE?!!

The old man smiled and replied, For over 100 generations

The boy looked at his dad and asked, If we are Chinese, why is our last name Svenson!

The old man smiled sagely and replied

When your great grand father immigrated to this country, he had to stand in a long line with others who were also immigrating here
The man in front of your great grand father was a giant, with long blonde hair and muscles bulging through his shirt sleeves

The immigration officer was sitting at a table and recording the names of each immigrant as they came up to him

NAME! said the immigration officer without looking up and as officially as he could

The big burly fellow replied with a Swedish accent..... OLLIE SVENSON

Without looking up the officer wrote the name down on the immigration form, handed it to the giant and said

NEXT

The old man smiled and said to his son, when the immigration officer asked Esteemed grand father what his name was, Esteemed grand father replied SAM TING

The immigration officer wrote down OLLIE SVENSON and without looking up handed the old Chinese immigrant his entry papers

AND THAT IS WHY, WHEN LOOKING INTO FAMILY TREES, YOU CAN'T JUST GO BY THE LAST NAME especially of people who have immigrated to this side of the pond

From the piping standpoint the Clan MacLeod is remarkably well provided with music!

2/4 Marches:
The Clan MacLeod
MacLeod of Talisker's March
Colonel MacLeod's March

Strathspeys:
Susan MacLeod
MacLeod House (by Michael Grey)
Colonel MacLeod

Reels:
Mrs MacLeod of Raasay
Colonel MacLeod

6/8 marches:
MacLeod of Mull
MacLeod's March
MacLeod of MacLeod's Welcome to Edinburgh

Slow Air:
MacLeod's Oran Mor

There are many MacLeod piobaireached:

MacLeod's Short Tune
The MacLeod's Salute
MacLeod's Controversy
MacLeod of Raasay's Gathering/Salute
MacLeod of MacLeod's Lament
John Garve MacLeod of Raasay's Lament
Lament for Mary MacLeod
Salute on the birth of Rory Mor MacLeod
MacLeod of Colbeck's Lament
MacLeod of Gesto's Gathering/Salute