A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Antony family of England.
Reg. 7568 · English, A–C
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
flaunchesA reward for virtue and learning
lionCourage, strength and royalty
Colours
Silver (Argent)Means: Peace and sincerity
Black (Sable)Means: Constancy
Historical info
Source
Sir Bernard Burke, The General Armory of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, London: Harrison & Sons, 1884
Blazon (the actual original written record)
“Ar. a leopard betw. two flaunches sa”
SuffolkSuffolk, c. 1620
Where the Antony Arms Were Recorded
Suffolk
Map of England showing where the Antony arms are recorded
The Antony arms were recorded in Suffolk, c. 1620.
Suffolk was wool country, and its cloth towns were among the wealthiest in England. Clothier families bought manors with their profits, and holding a manor was the ordinary route to a coat of arms.
This is where the arms were entered in the register. Families often moved to other parts of the country, so the same name can turn up in more than one region.
The body that granted and recorded arms in England in this period.
James VI and I
Sovereign of the period
James VI and I
1603–1625
Reigning in England when the Antony arms are first recorded.
How Arms Worked in England
English heraldry allowed arms to be shared by all legitimate descendants of the original owner. These symbols were treated as personal property that moved through the generations to all children. While the eldest son kept the original design, other family members could use the same shield without needing to change it or register their own unique versions.
Granting authority
The College of Arms in London has regulated the use of coats of arms throughout England and Wales since 1484.
How they got arms
Families typically obtained their coats of arms through a formal grant from the Crown or by proving their ancient right to them.
Where arms were recorded
All official coats of arms are recorded in the registers kept at the College of Arms, which date back to the fifteenth century.
The family's standing
Recorded among the armigerous families of Suffolk.
Origin & History of the Antony Family in England
The surname Antony traces its linguistic roots to the ancient Roman family name Antonius, which gained widespread popularity across Europe due to the veneration of Saint Anthony the Great. By the early 17th century, the name had become firmly established in the English county of Suffolk. Records confirm that members of the Antony family were living in this region by 1620, a time when many families were deeply connected to the agricultural and local trade life of East Anglia. During this period, surnames were becoming increasingly fixed in official parish registers, helping to track the movement and growth of families within the English countryside. The presence of the Antony name in Suffolk suggests a long-standing history of local residency, reflecting the broader patterns of migration and settlement that defined the social landscape of 17th-century England.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Antonius
A Roman family name of uncertain Etruscan origin.
This name
AntonyDerived from a Roman clan name, often associated with the Greek word for flower or priceless.
also spelled
Antonie
Antoney
Related arms
Anthonyvariant spelling
Documented Sources
Sir Bernard Burke, The General Armory of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, London: Harrison & Sons, 1884
Bardsley, Charles Wareing, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, 1901
Reaney, P.H., A Dictionary of British Surnames, 1958
Suffolk Archives, Parish Registers of Suffolk, 1620
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flaunchesA reward for virtue and learning
lionCourage, strength and royalty
flaunchesA reward for virtue and learning
lionCourage, strength and royalty
