do all family names have a coat of arms ? and where do I my familys ?

Answer 1

Have a look at the link posted below.
http://www.houseofnames.com/xq/asp.c/qx/Witts-coat-arms.htm
hope this helps.

Answer 2

That is a big NO! Coats of Arm, etc., belonged to the NOBILITY.
Check out: http://www.fleurdelis.com/meanings.htm
Coats of arms can belong to a city, county, nation...
Family crests belong to the family...
But, what we Americans call "coats of arm" belong to the individual, just like a medal military members nowadays earn.
When a member of one family (Smith) marries some one from another family (Jones) there would be a uniting of the coat of arms also, with a diagonal line across the shield, with Smith on one side and Jones on another. When their children marry, it can be further subdivided into quadrants; then 8 parts, 16...
To find the one that belongs to your surname (there will probably be several), check:
www.allfamilycrests.com
www.houseofnames.com
www.heraldry.ws/
www.ancestorhunt.com/family-coat-of-arms.htm
www.4crests.com
or just google "family crests" or "family coats of arms".
The rules were somewhat different at different time periods and countries...

Answer 3

Coat of arms are issued to individual members of a family. Your father has a coat of arms that only he can use, it belongs to him. And you're coat of arms will be different. However, there may be some similarieties between the two, common theme or design.

Answer 4

No. They don't belong to surnames. The companies that peddle them sell them solely on a surname and that is not legitimate.

See the links below

http://www.college-of-arms.gov.uk/Faq.htm

http://www.ngsgenealogy.org/comconsumerpsst.cfm

The only thing you can do is to trace your family and see if there is one in your family tree. That won't mean that you are entitled to it.

A large portion of the Anglo Saxon people of the American South have more than one in their family trees. That doesn't mean it belongs to them.

Actually some people in the South have the ones an ancestor brought over from England 300-400 years ago. They don't display them. They can't buy groceries with them.

Then you have these people who have bought these plaques off the internet, at shopping malls, airports, out of magazines and they have them on their den walls like they really belong to them. Actually, a real coat of arms will not have a name on it.

Now, you are free to have one designed and made up. That way you know it would be yours and not someone else's.

Also there is a James-Charles Noonan that has them designed for Catholic clergy. He also does them for individuals. He is not to be confused with the Noonan at Shannon Airport. You might put James-Charles Noonan in your search engine and maybe you can find out how to contact him if you are interested. I don't know his cost. There is a woman in Canada who designs them for him and she does a beautiful job.

Answer 5

No and most of the people who claim to have them aren't entitled to use the ones they claim are theirs. Usually, the arms just belong to someone with the same last name.

Answer 6

http://www.college-of-arms.gov.uk/Faq.htm
Here is the web site for the UK College of Arms, which is the official and authorized agency for such. This only applies to the UK, there is no such animal in the US.