A Scottish surname the Buchanan family name came from the regional land of Buchanan in Stirlingshire, Scotland. Individuals were referred to a Buchan. In the Gaelic terms ’both-chanain’ and ‘buth chanain’ refer to the seat or home of the canon (religious leader).
Spelling variations for Buchanan include Buchanon, Bohannon, Buchanen, Buchannen, Buchannon, Buchannan, Bucanon and Bucanion.

In England the Buchanan families mostly in the northern region, concentrated in Lancashire, Yorkshire, Durham and Northumberland. Many also live in the city of London. In Wales several Buchanan families are in the northern coastal regions and in the southern coastal areas of Wales. In Scotland the Buchanan name is all across the country. The highest percentage of Buchanan families are in Lanarkshire, Midlothian, Dunbartonshire, Stirlingshire and Renfrewshire. Most of the eastern and southern regions of the United States have Buchanan families. The states with the higher percentage include Texas, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, North Carolina, Illinois, Ohio and then California.

Famous: Kenneth Buchanan (champion boxer from Scotland), James Buchanan Jr. (19th century U. S. President), Colin Buchanan (actor from Scotland), Edgar Buchanan (actor), Robert Williams Buchanan (poet and novelist from England), Jensen Buchanan (actress), Franklin Buchanan (Civil War Admiral for the Confederate Navy) and Angela ‘Bay’ Buchanan (Treasurer of the United States).