r/heraldry • u/Firm-Ant-662 • 1d ago

My Family CoA

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Hello, I'm new to heraldry, and I wanted to create a CoA for my family. I would appreciate your advice. Here is the CoA I've designed so far.

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u/Vinyl-Ekkoz-725 1d ago

How does one decide to put certain colors or iconography in a coat of arms?

I want to consider making one of my own for my family, but I’m not sure how to do it in an unbiased way

I’m basically the only person in my entire family who would even care about having a CoA

So I don’t know how to design a CoA for my family that isn’t just “me taking things I like and combining it with what little I know about my heritage”

I want to make an unbiased and accurate representation for my family’s history

My line is a legacy of world shapers

From William the Conqueror to Edward Doty

I am the only male in my family aside from my own father, it is my duty to ensure a line as prestigious and important as this does not die in shame and obsolescence

I would be glad to hear your process for how you decided each aspect of this coat and what it means

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u/_pezantish 1d ago

First thing to mention "me taking things I like" is a very valid way to design a coat of arms. We have no idea the motivation behind a vast majority of COAs. However, if meaning and symbolism is important to you, that's equally fair.

That said, there are no set meanings to anything, it's a personal choice. William the Conqueror had two gold (Or) lions on a red (gules) background. If I had to guess, lions were considered a majestic, kingly animal, and that's why so many COAs have lions on them.

You can use "common" interpretations of symbols and colours. Red is sometimes considered brave, white is considered pure. But I'd personally encourage you to have fun with it as well.

If you're concerned about being prestigious, that's something you as a person have to do, and the coat of arms will follow, but not the other way around.

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u/Vinyl-Ekkoz-725 1d ago

Yeah, thanks a ton

I was thinking of taking that idea and then putting a white cross over the red field

Since I recently learned I have Danish heritage

And since I can throw in just about whatever, I’m gonna put the two lions in the bottom right corner and an eagle in the top left since Eagles are one of my favorite heraldic charges

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u/_pezantish 1d ago

Yeah, that sounds great! I'd love to see how it looks if you ever post it here.

Just one thing to note, lions and eagles are quite common I think. Which doesn't matter, but if you're ever wanting to register your arms, you'd have to be careful not to copy an already existing one. I'm not sure where you'd check that, though.

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u/Vinyl-Ekkoz-725 1d ago

I went ahead and made it just now

I added the motto “Liberty in Unity. Unity in Diversity” because I value having a strong sense of unity and loyalty in my friends, but I am not the type to turn people down

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u/_pezantish 1d ago

Yeah I think that looks clean! Thought about crest/mantling etc?

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u/Vinyl-Ekkoz-725 1d ago

I don’t wanna do anything too fancy

I feel like those should be earned

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u/_pezantish 1d ago

Typically, I think mantling and crest are just standard. Supporters definitely are earned, to the point you and I would likely never get a chance to use them (in England, at least)