Coats of Arms originated with the Crusades for identification.

Since 1971, our Hall of Names genealogists have been searching ancient documents, manuscripts and scrolls such as The Domsday Book (1086AD by William the Conquerer) to help trace your family’s ancient history and the earliest Coats of Arms granted to your family name.

Throughout the ages, wars, greed, conquests and economic conditions have caused countries boundaries, names, and languages to be changed, sometimes dramatically for centuries.

A Coat of Arms remains the same and signifies the identity of the bearer. The colours and heraldic symbols on the Coats of Arms have real meaning and is the visual representative of the family name it represents.

From the crusades, Coats of Arms were the identifying symbol of a person, a family, group, clan or sept and helped distinguish friend from foe and to act as a rallying symbol, (like the Scottish Clan badge).

A Coats of Arms was unique to an individual in a country and was easily recognised by all as so few were able to read. Identification was the reason for developing heraldic symbols and Coats of Arms. The designs, figures and colours, ( seven plus gold & silver), used in a Coat of Arms were chosen and designated to show a persons allegiance, status, profession, locations, traditions and personal choices that were particularly associated with that specific person. If a family was notable or achieved recognition they would have many Coats of Arms, each child, grandchild, marriage, especially if the wife had a Coat of Arms also.There may have been similar or quite different Coats of Arms granted to different family members, especially if they branched to another country. Here at Heraldry House, our researches have carefully searched out and we use the earliest ( oldest Coat of arms on record) Coat of Arms associated with that family as we do the earliest written record of the family name they have found. This is the perfect gift for a hard to buy for person, perfect for any occasion.

See the write up on the surname history for more details of the information included with your family Coat of Arms and surname history.