What Is a Family Coat of Arms? The Honest Answer
There is no coat of arms for a surname, but there is a real and rewarding history behind the arms recorded for people who shared your name. Here is how to tell the two apart.
Family History & Heraldry Guides
Plain-English guides to coats of arms, heraldic symbols and colors, surnames and immigration records, written from the historical sources and with every source listed.
How to Read a Coat of Arms: The Parts, the Blazon and Three Real Examples
A step-by-step guide to the parts of a coat of arms and the old language used to describe it, with three genuine blazons from Burke’s General Armory decoded line by line.
Heraldry Symbols and Their Meanings: A Complete Guide to the Common Charges
A plain-English guide to the most common heraldic symbols, from the lion rampant to the escallop shell, with an honest look at where their “meanings” really come from.
Heraldic Colors and Their Meanings: Metals, Colors, Furs and the Rule of Tincture
The colors of heraldry explained: the two metals, the five main colors, the stains and the furs, how they are drawn in black and white, and why their famous “meanings” are tradition rather than rule.
Coat of Arms vs. Family Crest vs. Clan Badge: What’s the Difference?
People say “family crest” when they mean a coat of arms, and “clan crest” when they mean a badge. Here is what each term really means, who owns each one, and who may use it.
Can Anyone Have a Coat of Arms? How Grants Work Today
A coat of arms belongs to a person, not a surname, but many people can still obtain one. Here is how official grants work in Britain, Ireland and Canada, and what Americans can do.
How to Verify Whether a Coat of Arms Is Authentic
A practical, step-by-step guide to checking whether a coat of arms is genuine, whose it was, and whether it could be yours, using the heraldic authorities’ own registers and the classic reference books.
Family Mottos: Where They Come From and What They Mean
War cries, puns on a name and personal maxims: the story of heraldic mottos, why they belong to a person rather than a surname, and how to look up the mottos recorded for people of your name.
How to Trace Your Surname’s Origin: A Step-by-Step Guide
Where did your surname come from, and how did it reach America? A practical, honest step-by-step method that starts with family and free government records and works back to the old country.
Were Names Changed at Ellis Island? The Myth and the Records
The story of the clerk who changed Grandpa’s name is one of the most popular in American family history, and one of the least supported. Here is what the National Archives and the USCIS History Office say really happened.
Irish Family Crests: A Complete Guide to Irish Heraldry and Surnames
Irish heraldry has its own traditions, from Gaelic septs to the Chief Herald of Ireland. Here is how “arms of the name” works, and where to trace an Irish surname for free.
English Coats of Arms: A Guide to British Heraldry and the College of Arms
In England a coat of arms belongs to a person and their descendants, not to a surname. Here is how the College of Arms, the visitations and Burke’s Armory fit together.
Scottish Clan Crests: Origins, Symbols and Who May Wear Them
A clan crest badge is your chief’s crest, worn as a sign of allegiance. Here is how Scottish heraldry, the Court of the Lord Lyon, chiefs and tartans fit together.
German Surnames and Coats of Arms: Burgher Heraldry, Siebmacher and the Road to America
German heraldry was never just for nobles, and most German surnames began as job titles. Here is how burgher arms, Siebmacher’s Wappenbuch and the emigrant ports fit your family story.
French Coats of Arms: The Fleur-de-Lis, the 1696 Armorial and French Heraldry
In France, arms were never just for nobles: most arms registered in 1696 belonged to commoners. Here is the story from the fleur-de-lis to New France and Louisiana.
Russian and Slavic Heraldry: Polish Clan Arms, Russian Noble Arms and More
In Poland one coat of arms could be shared by hundreds of unrelated noble families. Here is how Polish, Russian, Czech and Ukrainian heraldry work, and what that means for your surname.
European Heraldry by Country: How Coats of Arms Differ Across Europe
Heraldry began as a shared European language, but every country wrote its own rules. A short, sourced tour of eight traditions, with links to our dedicated guides for Ireland, England, Scotland, Germany, France and the Slavic lands.
Family Crest Gift Ideas: Heritage Gifts That Get the History Right
The most treasured heritage gifts tell a true story about the family. Practical ideas for every occasion, from a surname history book to a recorded conversation with Grandma, and how to give a heraldry gift without overstating it.