McGivern ???

[CameronTaylor]

A friend needs a McGivern tartan kilt for a wedding and I have yet to find one. Matt Newsome's site led me to the County Armagh tartan but does a McG even exist ??? (seems to be a Northern Irish name to me but what do I know?)

CT - you won't beleive how long this story is ...

[Zardoz]

I did a little poking around and did not see a family tartan. It's a Ulster name alright, mostly found in County Armagh and County Down, so you have :

Co. Armagh
Co. Down (both Marton Mills & House Edgar have a version of these)

Ulster (the only tartan here more than 20 yrs old)

Ireland's National

Irish National

Irish American

Irish Diaspora


I'd show your friend the county and district tartans, and let him pick the one he likes.

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

I used to know a Mr. McGivern in Los Angeles, who was a friend of the father of one of my friends (family name of Stewart). Mr. McGivern maintained that the name was a variation of mac gobhann more usually rendered McGowan in English. According to Mr. McGivern the family had traditionally been involved in the making of armour and hailed from Stirling. So maybe you are a Gow?

[Phogfan86]

FWIW, I did a "wide search" on one clan finder I use a lot and it suggested McGivern as a sept of Clan Montgomery.

[slohairt]

MacGivern is usually always an Anglicisation of the Irish Mac Shamhráin.

[jmercier]

McGivern is a part of the Biggar family, Biggar, Bigare, Bigger, Bigir, Bygar, McGivern, Bigger, Bigar, and a few more I forget off hand. Yes, it seems out of place, but all the research I've been able to find always includes McGivern along with the Biggar Scots. The Biggars do not belong to any 'clan' but they were originally from a very patricular region around Lankashire, and most places recommend the Strathclyde district tartan for Biggars. I did a lot of research into the Biggar family because that's where most of my Scottish heritage is from.

Certainly not as 'romantic' as belonging to a clan and having your own clan or family tartan. However most people tend to forget that the majority of Scottish families had no clan or familiy tartan, and if they wear tartan, would wear what was woven in their region or district.

The Strathclyde district tartan is a beautiful, not busy tartan. Unless you know that your friend's roots are more the Irish McGivern (which apperantly in my research came from the Scottish side anyways) then I believe the Strathclyde district tartan would be the appropriate one.

[macwilkin]

McGivern is a part of the Biggar family, Biggar, Bigare, Bigger, Bigir, Bygar, McGivern, Bigger, Bigar, and a few more I forget off hand. Yes, it seems out of place, but all the research I've been able to find always includes McGivern along with the Biggar Scots. The Biggars do not belong to any 'clan' but they were originally from a very patricular region around Lankashire, and most places recommend the Strathclyde district tartan for Biggars. I did a lot of research into the Biggar family because that's where most of my Scottish heritage is from.

Certainly not as 'romantic' as belonging to a clan and having your own clan or family tartan. However most people tend to forget that the majority of Scottish families had no clan or familiy tartan, and if they wear tartan, would wear what was woven in their region or district.

The Strathclyde district tartan is a beautiful, not busy tartan. Unless you know that your friend's roots are more the Irish McGivern (which apperantly in my research came from the Scottish side anyways) then I believe the Strathclyde district tartan would be the appropriate one.

The best post of this thread so far, save the one that mentioned the Ulster tartan. Well said.

Regards,

Todd

[CameronTaylor]

Thanks guys, a wealth of information and choices there.
Since I am not (as far as I know) part of the wedding party, I'm going in a black kilt with gold-yellow pleats (where's Pittsburgh Jeff when I need him most?), the groom is the McGivern getting hitched.

I will pass along this vast bit of knowledge.
Thank you all of you again.

CT - wow