I have a picture of a family crest but want to search the history. I'm not sure what surname goes with it. The crest appears to be gold with 2 lions on the top (one white and one red with their paws touching) the lower portion is blue or black with a smaller shield of red and white. I can't make out any of the words on it. Does anyone know a good website to look at?
2007-08-29 09:53:16 · 6 answers · asked by jccollegegirl03 4 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Genealogy
House of Names is a scam sight that has a vested interest in forcing every name to fit one of its records so they can sell you tzatches. Please do yourself a favor and go to a good library to research what you have and even make sure it belongs to your family. Books on heraldry are well-researched and explain the history correctly. Websites trying to sell you "things" with your surname on them are to be avoided at all costs. Caveat emptor.
The fact that people are referring questioners to this site doesn't speak well of their ethics in giving bad answers to good questions.
2007-08-29 14:13:00 · answer #1 · answered by GenevievesMom 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Genevieve's Mom is right on. Be careful of the websites peddling surname products. Coats of arms do not belong to surnames. So they can belong to an Irish family for instance not everyone with the same name comes from the same root of that surname.
O means descendant of. There was more than one Brian or Connor or whatever that had descendants. So not everyone named O'Brien or O'Connor comes from the same family. Mac, Fitz means son of. More than one Gerald that had sons. So not every Fitzgerald comes from the same root.
See the links below, one from the U. S. National Genealogical Society and the other from the U. K. College of Arms.
http://www.ngsgenealogy.org/comconsumerpsst.cfm
http://www.college-of-arms.gov.uk/Faq.htm
2007-08-31 18:24:14 · answer #2 · answered by Shirley T 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The crest is the top part of the coat of arms. There is no such thing as a family crest or a family coat of arms, unless you are Irish.
2007-08-29 10:11:54 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sounds like a unification of families. Try some of the websites, such as www.4crests.com, www.surnamehistories.com, etc.
Or, check in your local library and see if they have, or can get through an Interlibrary Loan, a book on Heraldry.
Remember: only the nobility had them and like badges and ribbons in today's modern military, they belonged exclusively to the individual (they are not yours).
2007-08-29 10:04:48 · answer #4 · answered by Nothingusefullearnedinschool 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
House of names has a good bit of information, though never tried a reverse search before. Good luck!
2007-08-29 10:34:21 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 3⤋
http://www.houseofnames.com/xq/asp.c/qx/Witts-coat-arms.htm
This second one is by far the best in my opinion.
http://www.heraldry.ws/index.html
If you just click the initial at the start of your surname on the index pad on the left hand side, then click search. then go down to the bottom of the page when your initial has been selected, and just keep going till you have found your coat of arms and surname.
2007-08-29 10:13:11 · answer #6 · answered by itsjustme 7 · 0⤊ 4⤋