How to Create Your Own Family Crest: A Step-by-Step Guide
A family crest is a symbol deeply rooted in heraldic history. In medieval times, knights wore crests on their helmets during battles and tournaments to help with identification, alongside their painted shields. While most of us no longer participate in such medieval activities, creating a family crest or coat of arms can still be a fun and meaningful project. Whether you’re looking to honor your ancestry, completing a school project, or simply engaging in a fun bonding activity with your loved ones, how to create your own family crest is an exciting way to connect with your heritage.
Creating your own family crest can be a creative and personal experience. It’s an opportunity to design a symbol that reflects your family’s values, history, and traditions. By following a few simple steps, you can craft a design that is both meaningful and beautiful. If you’re wondering how to create your own family crest, here’s a straightforward guide to get you started:
- Understand the Basics of Heraldry: The traditional components of a family crest typically include a shield, helmet, crest, motto, and supporters. Knowing these elements will help you design a balanced and authentic crest.
- Choose Symbols and Colors: Think about what represents your family. Are there specific animals, objects, or colors that have significance? These elements are essential in designing your coat of arms. Remember, each color and symbol has its own meaning in heraldic tradition, so choose wisely!
- Create a Motto: A family motto can be a powerful addition to your crest. It could be a phrase that reflects your family’s values or something that holds special meaning.
- Put It All Together: Once you have your symbols, colors, and motto, it’s time to assemble them into a cohesive design. This is where you can get creative and ensure that your crest truly represents your family’s identity.
Now that you know the steps, you’re ready to begin your journey in how to create your own family crest. It’s not only a fun activity but also a meaningful way to honor your family’s legacy!
Making Your Own Family Crest
How to Create Your Own Family Crest .Creating a family crest is a fantastic way to explore your family’s heritage, values, and interests. Below is a simple guide on how to design a meaningful family crest.
Step 1: Decide How You Will Use Your Crest
Before diving into the design, think about the purpose of your crest. Are you making it for personal enjoyment, a school project, or something more official? Understanding the purpose will guide your decisions about the symbols and tone. For example, a crest for personal use might include fun symbols or inside jokes, while one for academic purposes may need to include historically accurate imagery.
Step 2: Research Historical Heraldic Symbols
Heraldic symbols, or charges, have deep historical meaning. If you’re aiming for a historically accurate crest, it’s helpful to research traditional heraldry symbols. Some common examples include:
- Lions: Represent courage, valiance, and nobility.
- Dragons: Symbolize protection, power, and bravery.
- Eagles: Signify spirit, intelligence, and protection.
- Mermaids: Represent eloquence and the sea.
- Swords: Stand for military honor, liberty, and strength.
- Sun: Associated with hope, glory, and happiness.
- Rose: Denotes hope, joy, and beauty.
You can explore more about the significance of these symbols and choose ones that best resonate with your family values.
Step 3: Choose Appropriate Symbols for Your Crest
Consider selecting 1-3 symbols that best reflect your family’s history, values, or characteristics. Symbols don’t have to be traditional—if your family loves a certain hobby or has unique traits, feel free to incorporate those! For example, if you’re a writer, a feather or quill might be a fitting symbol. Or if your family is known for its love of pets, a dog could be a perfect choice.
Remember, this is about personalization! You can add quirky or meaningful details like favorite jokes or animals that reflect your family’s personality.
Step 4: Choose Colors for Your Family Crest
Pick 2-3 colors for your crest. While traditional heraldic colors include purple, red, blue, green, and black, you can feel free to explore any colors you like, especially if you’re not going for historical accuracy. You may also choose based on the meanings behind colors in heraldry:
- Red: Strength and passion.
- Blue: Loyalty.
- Purple: Justice.
- Green: Hope.
- Black: Constancy.
Feel free to get creative with natural colors too, like using brown for an eagle’s wings.
Step 5: Arrange Your Symbols on a Background Shape
Traditionally, coats of arms are arranged on a shield, but feel free to experiment with other shapes such as squares or triangles. You can divide the background into sections, each with different symbols, or use one large symbol that represents your family.
Pay attention to symmetry—many crests feature symmetrical designs. Adding supporters (animals placed on either side of the crest) can further balance your design.
Step 6: Add a Family Motto or Surname
Including a family motto or surname is a key part of many crests. A motto could be something meaningful, like “Respicias Veritas” (Respect Truth), or it could reflect your family’s beliefs or history. Place your motto on a banner across the top of the crest, or use your surname at the bottom.
Step 7: Create a Written Description of Your Crest
Write a 2-3 sentence description of your crest, explaining the significance of each symbol and color. This will help others understand the thought and history behind your design and can be especially helpful for school projects.
Step 8: Finalize Your Family Crest
To bring your crest to life, gather materials such as construction paper, markers, stickers, and scissors. You can hand-draw your design or use a family crest generator online to create a digital version. Websites like CoaMaker, MyTribe 101, Roll for Fantasy, and Hall of Names offer tools to help you design and finalize your crest.
By following these steps, you can create a meaningful family crest that reflects your family’s unique identity!
Finding Your Historical Family Crest
Step 1: Use a Reputable Online Ancestry Service to Find Your Family’s Crest
If you’re interested in discovering whether your family has an official crest or coat of arms, consider using a reputable online ancestry service. Websites like Hall of Names provide searches through extensive heraldry databases, helping you find any historical family crests linked to your surname. Keep in mind that not every family will have a documented coat of arms. These symbols are more likely to be found in families of European descent, particularly those with noble or aristocratic origins.
Step 2: Research Armory Records in the City Your Ancestors Are From
For a more in-depth search, consider looking into city armory records where your ancestors originated. Many cities have archives containing old manuscripts and books that document the original descriptions of coats of arms. These records can offer deeper insights into your family’s heraldic history and its significance.
What is a family crest?
Family Crests: Symbols of Family Identity
Family crests serve as symbolic emblems to identify families or individuals. Traditionally, families positioned crests at the top of their coat of arms, though people sometimes use the term “family crest” interchangeably with “family coat of arms” in modern, unofficial language. While they began as specific elements of heraldic design, they have evolved to represent families or individuals in many contexts today. Source
Step 1: Crests Were Originally Painted on the Shields of Medieval Knights
The origins of crests date back to the medieval period, when knights painted them on their shields to identify themselves in battle. Each knight’s design was unique, often representing their lineage or personal history. In some cases, a knight’s coat of arms could be passed down through generations, becoming a family crest. The first recorded use of a coat of arms dates to the 11th century A.D., with the Bayeux Tapestry documenting knights bearing shields with heraldic symbols during the Norman Invasion of England. However, only the aristocratic and noble classes had the right to bear these coats of arms, granted to them by their rulers. Source
Step 2: Some Modern Countries Still Regulate the Use of Family Crests
In certain countries, like the United Kingdom, the use of family crests is still regulated. If you wish to register a family coat of arms in the UK (or its realms such as Canada or Australia), you must submit a petition to the College of Arms. This official body reviews your design and provides guidance on the registration process. In contrast, in the United States, anyone can legally register a family crest or coat of arms. However, it’s recommended that you submit your design to a certified organization like The American Heraldry Society to ensure it aligns with heraldic standards.Source
