A clan served as the cornerstone of Bothan society, functioning as both a family unit and a political entity. The Bothan Council was formed by delegates from these various clans. In the time of the New Republic era, these Clans were together referred to as the Combined Clans.
The clan affiliation of a Bothan could be determined by examining the suffix present in their name. For example, the "Lon" present in the name of Tereb Ab'Lon indicated his origin from either the Ilon Clan or the Alon Clan. A Bothan lacking such a suffix was generally regarded as a disgraced pariah.
During the period of the Galactic Civil War, a number of Bothan clans provided support to the Dressellians through the provision of crucial intelligence and a multitude of slugthrower rifles.
In the year 3 ABY, the Bothan Council consisted of 608 officially recognized Clans, with an additional 53 Clans having submitted applications for formal recognition.