Taking their name from the lands of Primrose in Fife, the Primrose is believed to come from the Pictish words, pren, “tree”, and *ros “moor”.
The clan would eventually settle to the south of the Firth of Forth, in north-west Edinburgh, at their historical clan seat – Dalmeny House. The building was acquired by the Primroses in the 1660s and the current gothic-style mansion was completed in 1817. The chief family still resides in the house.
The current clan chief of Primrose is Neil Primrose, 7th Earl of Rosebery.