It is one of the most famous names in Scotland and has been appended to bus and train stations, libraries and art galleries as far afield as the United States and Australia.
But for the past 337 years there has been no chief to represent the millions of men and women around the world who call themselves part of Clan Buchanan.
Now the clan, one of the largest and most ancient in Scotland, will be led by John Michael Baillie-Hamilton Buchanan, who now becomes known as The Buchanan.
He is stepping into a position last vacated by his ancestral kinsman, John Buchanan, who died without a male heir all the way back in 1681.
The Lord Lyon King of Arms, who regulates Scottish heraldry, has formally upheld a petition for Mike Buchanan to assume the chiefship.
This follows decades of genealogical research, conducted by renowned genealogist Hugh Peskett, who famously traced US president Ronald Reagan’s Irish ancestry in the 1980s.
He became a genealogist 50 years ago after his grandmother (a Buchanan clanswoman herself) urged him to find the rightful Buchanan chief.
Mr Peskett subsequently researched his lineage back to 1370 and established references in more than 300 documents from around the world.
The Buchanan said: “I am honoured and proud that my claim to the chiefship of Clan Buchanan has been upheld by Lord Lyon.
“There has not been a chief for a very long time, but there is a thriving community of Buchanan clansmen, clanswomen and septs around the world.
“I look forward to meeting members of the clan, committing myself to clan matters in Scotland and attending some of the popular clan functions that take place overseas.
“It has been a long journey. We first approached the Lyon Court informally over 20 years ago and it has taken decades of genealogical research to back up our claim.
“I am indebted to Hugh Peskett, my fellow Buchanan clansman, for his meticulous research and enduring tenacity.”
Clan Buchanan can trace its origins back as far as 1010 AD in Scotland and has several million members across Great Britain, the United States of America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Jamaica among many other countries.
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Over five million people bear one of the recognised clan names, although not all will be clan members.
The new chief is the manager of Cambusmore Estate in the Southern Highlands near Callander and has four children with his wife, The Lady Buchanan, including heir apparent, Angus John Buchanan.
George Lauder McAusland, commissioner for Scotland and the UK of the Clan Buchanan International Society, said: “I would like to congratulate Michael Buchanan on his appointment.
“Having a chief for the first time in over 300 years will be an exciting time.”
The group has traditionally flown a banner at Highland games, featuring a lion rampant with tears of sorrow to represent the sadness of clansmen without a chief.
Now, though, they might need an updated version.
As well as those with the surname Buchanan, clansmen and women also include those with Scottish roots and surnames such as Bohannon, Coleman, Colman, Cormack, Dewar, Dove, Dow, Gibb, Gibbon, Gibb, Gibson, Gilbert, Gilbertson, Harper, Masters, Masterson, Morris, Morrison (some only), Richardson, Rush, Rusk, Walter, Walters, Wasson, Waters, Watson, Watt, Watters and Weir.
