What is the difference between a Family Coat of Arms and a Family Crest?

Question

I want to get a tattoo of my family coat of arms or family crest because i'm very proud of my german heritage and family is the most important thing in my life. I just don't know which one to get or what the difference is.. Thank you!

Answer 1

A crest is part of a coat of arms. The words "family crest" are a misnomer. Also coats of arms usually do not belong to families and definitely they don't belong to surnames. So beware of peddlers selling coats of arms(they use the misnomer family crest) on the internet, at shopping malls, in airports, in magazines etc like they belong to everyone with the same surname. They don't.



In British countries a coat of arms is granted to a specific individual not to a family and are inherited by individuals. In continental countries they are frequently assumed by individuals.



The term "family crest" probably came into existence when a man was granted, assumed or inherited a coat of arms, he frequently had the crest portion put on his family's silver, napkins etc. But by and large the coat of arms belonged to him, not to his family.



Frequently more than one man with the same surname, not all necessarily related, were each granted or assumed their own coat of arms, all different. No one peddler who sells them will have all of them. They don't need to in order to sell to suckers. The only time they will have more than one associated with the same surname is if more than one man with the same surname from different national origins were granted or assumed a coat of arms. Then they will have one of each and there might have been 50 others. Most men with that same surname are not entitled to a coat of arms at all as they have no direct male line ancestor that was ever granted or assumed a coat of arms.



There has been an ad running on TV, saw it in the wee hours of the morning recently, for a company selling framed surname histories which is rather shady as not everyone with the same surname shares the same family history. When surnames were taken or assigned in Europe during the last millennium, it wasn't impossible for legitimate sons of the same man to wind up with a different surname and still each could have shared his surname with others with no known relationship. So the root person of your surname will not necessarily be the root person of someone else with your surname. The man in the ad states "a" coat of arms will be on it not "your" coat of arms. You see on TV the FCC can slap a company hard for fraudulent advertising. The FCC has no control over the internet or some merchant in your local shopping mall.



Here are some links to various countries heraldry.



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

http://www.college-of-arms.gov.uk/About/12.htm#a

The College of Arms grants coat of arms for England and Wales.



http://www.lyon-court.com/lordlyon/216.181.html

The Lord Lyon grants coats of arms for Scotland. If your name is Scottish and you ever visit Scotland, you better keep any tattoo covered up. They can file criminal charges against you for displaying a coat of arms just because you found one with your surname over or under it. They do have clan badges in Scotland.





http://www.nli.ie/en/heraldry-introduction.aspx

http://www.heraldry.ws/info/article10.html

The above links are regarding Irish heraldry. In Ireland there are arms that had been granted to individuals but they also have clan arms.



http://www.regalis.com/onom.htm

This is regarding Italian heraldry.



The only way to know if you are entitled to a coat of arms is to trace your ancestry back to the person who was originally granted or assumed one. Different countries have different rules but to display a coat of arms without documented proof that you are entitled to it is considered usurpation of another's identity. Certainly if you have pride in yourself you don't want to take on another's identity.

Answer 2

a coat of arms is the legitimately awarded to an individual for services performed for or on behalf of a monarch. The crest is part of the Coat of Arms. There is no such thing as a Family" Coat of Arms. When Knighted the person was usually with lands, a title and wealth. The title could be passed to the eldest son and the Monarch could "take back" the title and crest (Henry VIII). There are commercial web sites that create crests, but they are not legitimate. The other thing is that a citizen of the US may not legally hold a title

Answer 3

Coats of Arms

Except for a few cases, there is really no such thing as a catch-all "coat of arms" for a surname. BUT, you will find literally hundreds of web sites on the Internet that will tell you otherwise. In actuality, "coats of arms" are usually granted only to a single person ... and NOT to an entire family or to a particular surname. Coats of arms are inheritable property, and they generally descend to male lineal descendents of the original arms grantee. So, you will know if you inherited a "coat of arms" ... because if you did, you'll already have it! The caveat to this paragraph is that "rules" and traditions regarding Coats of Arms vary from country to country. So, be certain to research the heraldry traditions of your ancestor's home country.



There are many links to articles about Coats of Arms and heraldry, at Kimberly Powell's About.com genealogy site.



A newsgroup devoted to heraldry has posted some very good explanations regarding a coat of arms and family crests. It explains what they can mean, and it even discusses software available for heraldic studies.



Legitimate Arms

If you'd like to read more about true coats of arms then these websites are good places to start:

• The Baronage Press

• American College Of Heraldry

• Institute of Heraldic and Genealogical Studies



Arms for Entertainment or Decoration

If, for the sole purpose of fun and entertainment, you still want to see some coats of arms associated (loosely) with your surname, then you can read through the below linked websites. Some of them have free "coats of arms" images. Bear in mind, though, that for most all of us, viewing these coats of arms, or buying mugs, t-shirts or plaques bearing these images is really just for fun or decoration.

• Free Coat of Arms

• Free Coat of Arms Search (Extensive Site!)

• Coats of Arms Designs of Wonder

• Coats of Arms on the Internet

• Fleur-de-Lis Designs

http://www.progenealogists.com/coatofarms.html



The family crest is typically a figure and generally a beast of some kind. It can be found "atop the helmet placed above the shield." Traditionally the crest has been used primarily by men. However, some queens of England of Britain have been treated with crests. In the early history of the family crest, its issuance was usually confined to people of rank, but later the crest was included in nearly every grant of arms.

Answer 4

Look here for help. A bunch of people will tell you that you don't have one, which is true. But if you want to claim one for decoration, feel free.

http://www.fleurdelis.com/nofamilycrest.htm

Answer 5

They are essentially the same thing. Family crest tends to be more intricate while coat of arms tends to be more personal. It's all about preference.