To prove one's coat of arms was acquired or used on a particular date. Coat of arms, the principal part of a system of hereditary symbols dating back to early medieval Europe, used primarily to establish identity in battle. For arms without a name, look up the coat of arms or its blazon in a book called an ordinary of arms (essentially, a dictionary of blazons). Traditional family crests stemmed from heraldic arms, also known as coat of arms or armorial bearings. family crest, coat of arms. Why register a coat of arms? To distinguish one's coat of arms from bogus "surname” heraldry. Coats of Arms were highly popular in the medieval period for Knights to use as a form of identification. Welcome to Coat of Arms. STEP 1 ESCUTCHEON/SHIELD The focal point of any Coat of Arms is the Escutcheon, or Shield. When done you can save it, print it, send it as a free postcard or even First, to establish your right to use historic arms you will need to know your family tree (ie a proper genealogy; a family surname is not enough!). What do they mean? To help prevent others from unintentionally assuming one's coat of arms. Crozier’s General Armory is on the free Internet Archive , and check large research and university libraries. Heraldic arms were common throughout Europe in the Middle Ages (the 1000 years between the 5th and the 16th century). For present purposes this is important for two significant reasons. Coats of arms are inherited, rather like titles, usually (historically) through the male line. Historically heraldic arms were a design belonging to a particular person or group of people. They are still a matter of Civil Law in England and the use and distribution of them are governed by the College of Arms. We have over 1,000,000 surnames in our on-line database and off-line databases and other heraldic records that have a particular meaning for you. A coat of arms is essentially a graphic display of your family's name, made unique in some way to the individual bearer. Find the family crest or find the family coat of arms by typing your surname in the box above. This is a free coat of arms search at no cost to you to see if we can find your family crest and the correct country of origin within our records. Nowadays, what many commonly refer to as the family crest or coat of arms is actually a heraldic achievement, which consists of the coat of arms (shield) along with some or all of the following elements: crown, helm or helmet, mantling, torse, crest, supporters, order, and motto. Coat of arms history. Where more then one coat of arms exists for a particualr name we will always use the most ancient unless you instruct us to use a more modern coat of ams. Arms evolved to denote family descent, adoption, alliance, property ownership, and, eventually, profession. Buy with confidence and enjoy our 100% satisfaction guarantee. A traditional coat of arms typically includes a patterned shield that is decorated with a crest, a helmet, a motto, a crown, a wreath, and a mantling. To record and display one's coat of arms in a publicly accessible database. Creating your own family crest is easy, the first step is shown below. You can select the colors most appropriate to you and insert heraldic charges (the lion, the star, the eagle, etc.) Shop Coat of Arms, the most comprehensive Coats of Arms, family crest, family crests, family name histories, sirname histories, ancestry, and heraldry resource for personalized gifts. https://ancestralfindings.com/real-truth-behind-coats-arms-family-crests