The Clan Lamont Society claims that Blacks were originally Lamonts who changed their name. William Black the novelist, traced his pedigree to a branch of Clan Lamont who were driven from Lamont territory under a leader called the Black Priest. The surname is also used as an Englishing of Macilduy and Macildowie (G M'llle dhuibh or Mac Gille dhuibh, 'son of the black lad').
