Meaning of the Surname: 'Buth chanain' is Gaelic for 'house of the canon'

Origin of the Surname:  The following is from the Gathering of the Clans, Buchanan Clan page.
Arms: Or, a lion rampant Sable, armed and langued Gules, within a double
tressure flory counterflory of the Second
     Badge: A hand holding a tasselled cap
     Branches: Arnprior, Auchmar, Carbeth, Leny, Spital.
     Tartans: Buchanan, Buchanan Hunting, Buchanan Old.
     Mottos: Audaces juvo (Latin: I help the brave); Clarior hinc honos
(Latin: Brighter the honour hence).
     Slogan: Clar Innis (Clairinch, an island in Loch Lomond).
     Septs: Colman, Cormack, Cousland, Dewar, Dove, Dow, Gibb, Gibbon,
Gibson, Gilbert, Gilbertson, Harper,
     Harperson, Leavy, Lennie, Lenny, MacAldonich, MacAlman, MacAslan,
MacAslin, MacAuselan, MacAuslan,
     MacAusland, MacAuslane, MacAlman, MacAlmont, MacAmmond, MacAsland,
MacChruiter, MacColman,
     MacCormack, MacCubbin, MacxCubbing, MacCubin, MacGeorge, MacGibbon,
MacGreuisich, MacGubbin,
     MacInally, MacIndeor, MacIndoe, MacKinlay, MacKinley, MacMaster,
MacMaurice, MacMurchie, MacMurchy,
     MacNeur, MacNuir, MacNuyer, MacQuattie, MacWattie, MacWhirter,
Masters, Masterson, Morrice, Morris,
     Morrison, Murchie, Murchison, Richardson, Risk, Rusk, Ruskin, Spittal,
Spittel, Walter, Walters, Wason, Waters,
     Watson, Watt, Watters, Weir, Yuill, Yool, Yule, Zuill.

The earliest family of this name hailed from the shores of Loch Lomond,
which were granted by the Earls of Lennox to one
Absalon around 1225. 'Buth chanain' is Gaelic for 'house of the canon', and
Absalon may have been a clergyman or from one
of those families dedicated to the service of the ancient Celtic Church. In
1282 Morris of Buchanan received a charter
confirming him in his lands with baronial rights. He also held the small
island of Clarinch, the name of which was afterwards to
become the battle-cry of the clan.

The Buchanans supported the cause of Bruce during the War of Independence
and the fortunes of the family were thus
assured. Sir Alexander Buchanan travelled with other Scottish nobles to
fight for the French against Henry V of England, and
fought at the Battle of Beauge in Normandy in March 1421. Buchanan's
exploits during this battle are given as one explanation
for the heraldry of the family: it is said that Sir Alexander killed the
Duke of Clarence and bore off his coronet as a trophy,
hence the ducal cap held aloft in the crest. The shield, which is virtually
the Royal Arms of Scotland, differenced only by
changing the lion and the double tressure of fleurs de lis from red to
black. This is said to allude to the marriage of Sir Walter
Buchanan to the only daughter of Murdoch, Duke of Albany and Regent of
Scotland. The regent was ultimately beheaded by
his cousin, James I, in 1425, when his estates were confiscated. Albany's
son had died childless and the Buchanans were the
nearest relatives to this disinherited branch of the royal family. The arms
are said to mourn the family's loss of status.

                  Also descended from the chiefly family were the Buchanans
of Arnprior who held lands in Perthshire
around Kippen. The Lairds of Arnprior lived in some style and were
nicknamed the 'kings of Kippen'. Walter Scott relates a
tale said to explain this title. James V was fond of travelling in
disguise, using a name known only to his close friends and
attendants. The king arrived at Arnprior to be met by a grim retainer who
advised him that the laird was at dinner and could not
be disturbed. The king retorted by asking him to tell the king of Kippen
that 'the Goodman of Ballengeich is come to feast'.
When Buchanan heard these words, he knew at once that it could only be the
king at his door and begged his royal
forgiveness. The laird was killed at the Battle of Pinkie in 1547. The
ancient lands of Buchanan were to have been passed at
the death of the last chief in 1682 to Buchanan of Arnprior, but instead
were sold to meet heavy debts. The mansion house of
Buchanan is now in the possession of the Graham Dukes of Montrose.

Perhaps the most famous Buchanan was the distinguished poet and protestant
reformer George, who was born at Killearn in Stirlingshire in 1506, the third son of Buchanan of Drumikill. He moved to Paris around 1520 to continue his education and
travelled extensively on the Continent, embarking upon a literary career.
He returned to Scotland around 1560 and in April
1562 he was appointed tutor in classics to the young Mary, Queen of Scots.
He received a measure of royal favour but this did
not prevent his launching vicious attacks upon the queen in his writings.
He was appointed preceptor and tutor to the young
James VI after the abdication of his mother, and he is generally credited
with laying the foundations for that monarch's
considerable academic prowess as well, unfortunately, as poisoning the
child's mind against his mother. James Buchanan was
the fifteenth president of the United States of America. There has not been
a recognised chief since the seventeenth century.