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There is no such thing as a family crest; crests are part of the overall heraldry held by an individual (usually a man). They refer to the crest worn on top of a knight's helmet during the late medieval period - not to the design on the shield.
A crest can be many kinds of things like a swan, a deer's head and neck, a man's arm holding a sword, a ship, a standing dragon and so on. This crest was often used as a badge by the knight's retainers and servants, who were not permitted to have a coat of arms.
Fraudsters have in modern times pretended to be able to identify "your family coat of arms" in return for payment; this idea is completely false because if you have been awarded a complete coat of arms (with motto, supporters, mantling and crest) you will already have a legal heraldic document proving it - nobody without that evidence can claim to have any heraldry.
Wiki User
∙ 11y ago
Wiki User
∙ 9y agoIf you have a family crest, it is because some part of your ancestry had some form of noble status in a Western European country. Family crests or coats of arms started as paintings on shields to identify a warrior during a battle. During the medieval period the meanings of the paintings became formalized and changed from identifying a single person, to identifying a family. Each design on the crest had a meaning. For instance, gold rings on a coat of arms meant that the family was wealthy. Spears meant the family had prowess in battle. Later coats of arms had mottos added; usually written in Latin. These days Coats of Arms have little function other than curiosity.
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Where can German family crests be found?
You can find German family crests at familycrest.com, or at houseofnames.com
Why are there two Quinn family crests?
The so-called "family crests" are not really familycrests. They are assigned to individuals, and each person using a crest should have something slightly different.
Do Italian families have a family crest?
Italian noble families do have crests. They are often seen above the entrance to the palazzos the family owns or owned. However, just as in other countries, most Italian familes are not part of the nobility and do not have family crests.
What is the family crest for surname Vestal?
Surnames don't have family crests; families have family crests. For any given surname there can be several unrelated families, each with a different crest, and many more unrelated families with no crest at all.
What is the animal on the Ward family crest?
Most Ward family crests that can be viewed by Googling "ward family crest" do not have any animals on them. A few have a horse.
Where can German family crests be found?
You can find German family crests at familycrest.com, or at houseofnames.com
Why are there 2 Quinn family crests?
The most likely reason that there are two Quinn family crests is that there are two unrelated or distantly related Quinn families that received crests or created their own.
What does the Smith family crest look like?
There are a great many different Smith families. Most will not have a family crest since most blacksmiths, copper-smiths and the like were not in the social classes that had crests. Any two that do have family crests will have different crests.
Why are there two Quinn family crests?
The so-called "family crests" are not really familycrests. They are assigned to individuals, and each person using a crest should have something slightly different.
Is it possible to not have a family crest?
Certainly. Very few families actually have family crests.
How do you get a logo from the chief herald in RuneScape?
Talk to him about family crests.
Do Italian families have a family crest?
Italian noble families do have crests. They are often seen above the entrance to the palazzos the family owns or owned. However, just as in other countries, most Italian familes are not part of the nobility and do not have family crests.
Why did people start using family crests?
Crests and similar symbols were means of identifying important people at a time when most people could not read or write.
Why would knights put symbols on their shield's?
My guess is that the symbols were family crests.
What is the family crest for surname Vestal?
Surnames don't have family crests; families have family crests. For any given surname there can be several unrelated families, each with a different crest, and many more unrelated families with no crest at all.
What is the animal on the Ward family crest?
Most Ward family crests that can be viewed by Googling "ward family crest" do not have any animals on them. A few have a horse.
What is the family crest or coat of arms for the name Sass?
Names do not have crests or coats of arms. Some individuals have coats of arms. Some families have crests; and some families of the same name do not.
