Enter the world of prestige, tradition, and history.
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STORES PRODUCTSCONTACT
| FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS |
Q: Does this site help me in the search of my family tree?
A. Indirectly; our last name history will give to a broad historical review of your last name which includes key name related events and dates.
Q: Why have I seen a different coat of arms for my name (This doesn't match what I've seen before)?
A. There are often several different coats of arms for any given last name. Coats of arms were originally granted to individuals, who then passed them down through direct descents.
Artists differ—heraldry in not an exact science and much is left to the artist in drawing any coat of arms. The look of the symbols, shape of the shield, the level of ornamentation and even the shades of color used can vary quite a bit.
We generally use the oldest recorded coat of arms registered to that family name. Another site may be displaying a different coat of arms for the same name. For many names, multiple coats of arms are on record.
The other site may be displaying a totally incorrect coat of arms (not an uncommon happening).
Q: Is there a Coat of Arms listed under my name?
A. Over 90% of names we research have a Coat of Arms listed for them, so the odds are good that we will be able to find one under yours.
Q. What source do you use for your coat of arms?
A. We use many sources for our coats of arms depending on the country of origin of the name. Listed below are some but not all the resources we use, these books are available in your local library:
- “Armorial General de France” —Charles D’Hozier
- "Irish Families", Edward Mac Lysaght - First Chief Herald of Ireland, Irish Academic Press, 4th Edition 1985, reprinted 1991
- "The General Armory (of England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland)", Sir Bernard Burke - Ulster King of Arms Heraldry Today, 1884, Reprinted 1996.
- "Ordinary of British Armorials" by John W. Papworth, completed by Alfred W. Morant. 1874 reprinted 1985
- “Fürstsches Wappenbuch” Siebmacher 1605-1806
- “Siebmacher's großes und allgemeines Wappenbuch” Hildebrandt, Gritzner, Seyler 1854-1967
- “Dizionario Storico- Blasonico” —Crollalanza
- “Rollands Illustrations to Reistaps Armorial General”
- "Armorial General" J.B. Rietstap, 1884, Heraldry Today, Reprinted 1988
- "Bolton's American Armory" —Charles Knowles Bolton
- "Crozier's General Armory" —William Armstrong Crozier
- "VirginiaCountyRecords. Vol. V: Virginia Heraldica A Registry of Virginia Gentry Entitled to Coat Armor" —William Armstrong Crozier
- "Fairbairn's Book of Crests of the Families of Great Britain and Ireland" —James Fairbairn
- "Complete American Armoury and Blue Book" —John Matthews
- "An Ordinary of Arms: Contained in the Public Register of All Arms and Bearings in Scotland" —Sir James Balfour Paul
- "America Heraldica" Edited —E. de V. Vermont, 1965
- "The Irish Book of Arms" —Michael C. O'Loughlin, reprinted 2000
- "Scottish Clan and Family Names—Their Arms, Origins and Tartans" by Roddy Martine revised edition 1992.
- “L’Encyclopedie Diderot et D’Alembert”
- “Nobiliaire De Limoges”
- “Nobiliaire De Ponthieu et De Vimeu”
- “Nobiliaire Du Bas Limousin”
- “Nobiliaire Mallorquin”
- “Nobiliaire De Normandie”
- “Armorial Romanais” —Dr. Ulysse Chevalier, Vienna 1877
- “Armorial Salle des Croisades”
- “Mottoes and Badges” —W.S. Anson, 1904
- “The Harleian Guide” —J.B. Whitmore
- “Dictionnaire de Figures Heraldiques” —Renesse, 1874
- “The British Herald” —T. Robson, 1830
- “Civic Heraldry of England and Wales” —Scott Giles
- “The Book of Public Arms” —A.C. Fox-Davies
Q. Can a name have more than one Coat of Arms?
A. Yes, there is often more than one Coat of Arms displayed with a particular family name. Different branches of a family or particular individual bearers of a name may often have been granted their own Coat of Arms. Our research normally makes reference to the earliest Coat of Arms associated with the name.
Q. Can the same Coat of Arms be associated with more than one family name?
A. Yes, there are often cases of a number of family names being associated with one particular Coat of Arms. Also due to the consistency and universality of heraldic art, the same Coat of Arms may be associated with two entirely different names in two different countries.
© Gems of History 2008