Do you know the meaning of your surname? Knowing the meaning of your family’s surname can help you learn valuable information about your ancestors and often, a family crest is directly linked to the meaning of your family’s surname.

By typing in your surname into a search box, you can easily discover your crest and family motto which often can be translated into sentimental personalised family crest gifts for many special occasions including anniversaries and leaving presents for colleagues.

In this article, we’ll help you understand what a family’s crest is, what the colours and symbols reflect and how knowing your family’s crest can help you learn more about your ancestors.

What is a Family Crest?

Family crests are often interchangeable with the coat of arms and shield of arms, which originated in Europe back in the 12^th century.

Coat of arms or crests were originally used by medieval knights in order to distinguish one knight from another. In full armour, the knight was unrecognisable and because of this, knights began to paint symbols on their shields to help differentiate them. Often the design was unique to an individual, however it soon became difficult to keep track of who had what symbol.

It then became the job of ‘heralds’ to keep track of the different coats of arms. They made sure that every new coats of arms were unique and completely individual, keeping track of who each crest belonged to.

By the 13^th century, these became emblems that were adopted by families as identification marks and still today, family crests are utilised by families and individuals, as a means of reflecting their history and ancestry.

Not to be confused with the coat of arms, the crest is part of the overall coat of arms. The crest is an important identifier for what the person who originally received the arms did to receive it and has often been used on its own as a smaller family logo over the centuries.

What does my Family Crest mean?

A family crest is divided into several parts. Each part tells you something about the individual or family to which it was granted. Everything from the colours, symbols, markings, crest and motto, tell you something about your ancient family history and their position in society.

Colours

Colours have a special meaning, however most heraldic colours have more than one meaning. Here are the main meanings behind each colour:

• Gold or Yellow (Or) – Wisdom, generosity and glory
• Silver or White (Argent) – Peace, innocence and sincerity
• Red (Gules) – Magnanimity, military strength, warrior and martyr
• Blue (Azure) – Loyalty, truth, strength and faith
• Green (Vert) – Abundance, hope, joy and loyalty in love
• Black (Sable) – Wisdom, constancy or grief
• Purple (Purpure) – Temperance, regal, justice and Royal Majesty
• Orange (Tawny/Tenne) – Worthy and ambition
• Maroon (Sanguine/Murray) – Fortitude, patient and victorious

Animals

Different animals on a crest also have different meanings. They could be on the shield itself or on top of the healm and wreath. They would commonly represent positive traits such as loyalty, resourcefulness or wisdom. Here are the most common animals to feature:

• Bear – Cunning, ferocity and strength in the protection for family and friends
• Beaver – Industry and perseverance
• Boar or Boar’s head – Bravery and will fight to the death. The boar head alone symbolises hospitality
• Buck – Peace and harmony. Will not fight unless provoked
• Bull or Bull’s horns – Bravery, valour and generosity. The bull head alone symbolises strength and fortitude
• Butterfly – Soul and spirit
• Camel – Patience, docility and perseverance
• Cat – Courage, vigilance and liberty
• Cockerel – Hero, courage and perseverance
• Crane – Close parental bond. Vigilance if holding a rock
• Cygnet – Dignity when crowned around its neck
• Deer – Peace and harmony. Will not fight unless provoked
• Dog – Courage, vigilance, and loyalty
• Dolphin – Love, charity, swiftness and diligence
• Dove – The Holy Spirit, loving constancy and peace. With an olive branch in its bill, it signifies good tidings
• Duck – Resourcefulness
• Eagle – Strength, bravery and person of noble nature and alertness. Or one who is high-spirited, ingenious and quick-witted
• Eagle displayed with wings spread – Protection
• Eagle (with two heads) – Symbolises conjoining forces
• Elephant – Great strength, wit, happiness, royalty, luck and ambition
• Sea shell – Traveller to far places or victorious naval commander
• Fish – True, generous and virtuous for himself, not because of his heritage. Unity with Christ and spiritual nourishment
• Fox – Will use all of their wisdom and wit in their own defence
• Gannet – Someone who has to subsist by virtue and merit
• Goat – Someone who has political ability
• Goose – Resourcefulness
• Greyhound – Loyalty, courage and vigilance
• Hare – Someone who enjoys a peaceable and retired life
• Hawk or Falcon – Someone who does not rest until they have achieved their goal
• Hedgehog – Providers
• Horse – Readiness for all employments for king and country
• Lamb – Gentleness and patience under suffering. A lamb carrying a staff or banner with a cross is a ‘paschal lamb’ which represents faith, innocence, bravery, purity and a resolute spirit
• Leopard – Valiant, hardy warrior who enters things with force and courage
• Lion – Fearless courage
• Ostrich – Willing obedience and serenity
• Ox – Courage and generosity
• Black Panther – Fierce but tender. Loving and defendant of her children
• Peacock – Beauty, power and knowledge
• Pelican – Charitable and self-sacrificial nature
• Rabbit – Peaceable and retired life
• Ram – Authority
• Raven – Divine providence
• Rhino – Ferocious when provoked
• Serpent or Snake – Wisdom
• Spider – Wisdom and labour
• Squirrel – Lover of the woods
• Stag – Peace and harmony. Will not fight unless provoked
• Stag’s antlers – The antlers symbolise strength and fortitude
• Stork – Family duty, close parental bond. Holding a rock symbolises vigilance
• Swallow – Bearer of good news. Someone who is prompt and ready in doing business
• Swan – Harmony, light, love, grace, sincerity and perfection
• Tiger – Fierceness and bravery. Resentment and dangerous if provoked
• Tortoise – Invulnerability to attack
• Wolf – Reward from perseverance in long sieges and/or hard industry

Mythical Creatures

Of course mythical creatures often featured on family crests too. These held particular significance in heraldry. Here are the most common mythological creatures:

• Centaur (Man/Horse) – Reputation on the battle field
• Cockatrice (Chicken/Dragon) – Terror to all beholders
• Dragon/Wyvern (Dragon with two legs) – Valiant defender and protection of treasure
• Griffin (Eagle/Lion) – Death-defying bravery and vigilance
• Harpy (Face, neck and breast of human/Body of a lion) – Ferocious when provoked
• Hydra (7 headed dragon) – Conquest of a very powerful enemy
• Mermaid – Eloquence
• Pegasus (Winged unicorn) –Poetic genius and inspiration. Messenger of God
• Phoenix – Symbol of resurrection
• Sphinx -Wisdom and secrecy
• Unicorn – Extreme courage, virtue and strength

Objects

Objects had many different meanings which added to the uniqueness of the arms as well as identifying the person or family. Here are the most common objects:

• Agricultural tools – Labouring in the earth
• Anchor – Hope and religious commitment
• Anvil – Honour
• Arrow – Readiness for battle. If paired with a cross, this represents a suffering.
• Axe (or Battle Axe) – Execution of military duty
• Banners – Special action in which bearer was captured, or a reward for valiant service
• Bar, Barry or Barrulet – Someone who sets the bar of conscience, religion and honour against angry passions and evil temptations
• Baton – Authority
• Bells – Power to disperse evil spirits
• Bones – Mortality
• Book – Open – manifestation. Closed – counsel
• Bow – Readiness for battle
• Bridge – Governor or magistrate
• Broom – Humbleness
• Buckle – Victorious fidelity in authority
• Cannon and Cannon Balls – Someone who has dared the terror of such a weapon in battle
• Chains – Reward for acceptable and weighty service. With crowns and collars, this suggests the bearer bore the chain of obligation or obliged others because of services done
• Column – Fortitude and constancy. A serpent coiled around it means wisdom with fortitude
• Cup (covered) – Office of the king’s butler
• Drum – Ready for war
• Feathers – Obedience and serenity
• Fleur-de-lis – Purity and light. Floral badge of France; represents sixth son as mark of difference
• Flint – Readiness for zealous service
• Fountain – Water or a spring
• Grenade – Someone who has dared the terror of such a weapon in battle
• Hand/red hand – Pledge of faith, sincerity and justice.  Two right hands conjoined represent union and alliance
• Harp – Well-composed person of tempered judgment and contemplation. A mystical bridge between heaven and earth
• Horns – Strength and fortitude
• Horseshoe – Good luck and safeguard against evil spirits
• Hourglass – Flight of time and mortality
• Hunting Horn – Someone who is fond of the chase and of high spirits
• Keys – Guardianship and dominion
• Letters – May represent great battles or tournaments beginning with that letter
• Mullet (a five point straight-sided star) – Divine quality from above. Mark of third son
• Pen – Art of writing and educated employment
• Pipes – Festivity and rejoicing
• Plume of feathers – Sign of willing obedience and serenity of mind
• Portcullis – Protection in an emergency
• Rock – Safety and protection
• Saddle – Ready for active service
• Scallop shell – Traveller to far places or victorious naval commander
• Scythe – The hope of a fruitful harvest
• Ship – Sea voyages
• Skull – Mortality
• Sphere – Geographical or scientific reference
• Stirrup – Readiness for active service
• Sword/dagger/dart – Justice and military honour
• Table – Hospitality
• Tent – Readiness for battle
• Torch – Life, enthusiasm, truth and intelligence
• Trumpet – Ready for war
• Wheel – Fortune
• Wheel (Catherine) – Torture

Flowers and fruit

Flowers usually represent hope and joy whilst fruit can signify felicity and peace. Here are the most common fruits and flowers:

• Acacia branch/leaves – Eternal and affectionate remembrance
• Acorn – Independence in its bearer
• Apple – Liberality, felicity and peace
• Bay leaves – Poet or victor’s laurel
• Berries – Liberality, felicity and peace
• Cypress – Death and eternal life thereafter
• Grapes – Liberality, felicity and peace. Also associated with wine-making
• Laurel leaves – Peace and/or triumph
• Oak tree/leaves – Great age and strength
• Olive branch/leaves – Peace and concordance
• Rose – Mark of the seventh son (a red rose symbolises grace and beauty while a white rose means love and faith)
• Wheatsheaf – Plenty and commendable hospitality

Reasons why you should learn about your Family Crest

Discover your family motto

Many mottoes in heraldry speak proudly of virtue, courage, loyalty, strength, and faith. Most families have an old family motto attached to their crest, which depicts the core values of the family but were not generally used until the 17th century, therefore the oldest coats of arms occasionally do not include a motto.

Originated from battle war cries, these mottoes and slogans provide an insight into your family name and their history. The family surname Andrews has a valued motto of “Victrix fortunœ sapientia”, which translates to “Wisdom the conqueror of fortune” whilst the slogan of the family name McMartin is “Aonaibh ri cheile” meaning “Unite”.

Honour your ancestors

Family history research takes time and dedication, but shouldn’t we honour our ancestors and preserve their legacy? By uncovering the details of your family coat of arms, you can help share the unique story and motto with your children and other family members.

Inspiring children and other family members with the knowledge uncovered in your genealogy research, you might create an interest for them to take part in family history research and carry the legacy of your family on.

Start a new tradition

If you weren’t aware of your crest before now, why not start a new tradition with your kids? Mark those special occasions with personalised family crest gifts. Welcome your son into adulthood on his 18^th birthday with a long-lasting present inscribed with your surname crest or family motto. Celebrate his graduation or wedding day with a totally unique keepsake that he himself can hand down to his children and for generations to come.

Family crest presents make unusual yet remarkable gift ideas for those interested in family history and their ancestory. Click here for some of our favourite ideas with family crests – Ideal for weddings, anniversaries, birthdays, graduations and leaving presents.