02/18/2026
Did Your American Family Coat of Arms Really Come From England?
This is one of the most common assumptions in American genealogy:
“If my ancestors came from England, our surname must have a coat of arms.”
Not quite.
In England, coats of arms were granted to individuals, not to entire surnames.
Those arms descend through documented, legitimate lineage — traditionally through the male line — and are regulated by:
• The College of Arms (London, established 1484)
• Official heraldic visitations (16th–17th centuries)
• Published armorials such as Burke’s General Armory
• Probate records and pedigree registrations
If your American ancestor immigrated from England, the question becomes:
Was he directly descended from the specific English armiger who received that grant?
Same surname does not equal same bloodline.
Colonial America had merchants, farmers, craftsmen, indentured servants, soldiers — and yes, sometimes younger sons of armigerous families. But proof matters.
At COADB, we trace your documented lineage in America first — then connect it back across the Atlantic to a specific parish, county, and documented English pedigree before researching heraldic entitlement.
Because true heraldry follows documented ancestry, not marketing claims.
COADB – Preserving Family Legacy Through History
COADB.com
785-324-2529
