A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Birkby family of England.
Reg. 5445 · English, A–C
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
wheatsheafPlenty, and the harvest of one's own labour
Colours
Gold (Or)Means: Generosity
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)
“Or, three garbs sa”
Englandc. 1620
Where the Birkby Arms Were Recorded
York
Map of England showing where the Birkby arms are recorded
The Birkby arms were recorded in England, c. 1620.
Arms such as these were typically recorded in York.
Yorkshire is the largest of the English counties, and it held more gentry families than any other. Land there was split among a great many households rather than a few, so a great many of them carried 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 Birkby 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 England.
Origin & History of the Birkby Family in England
The family name Birkby is a locative surname, meaning it originated from a specific place rather than a trade or a personal characteristic. It is derived from the Old Norse words "birk," meaning birch tree, and "by," which refers to a farmstead or a village. This suggests that the earliest ancestors to adopt the name lived near a settlement characterized by a prominent birch grove. By the year 1620, records confirm that members of the Birkby family were well-established in the city of York. During this period, York was a bustling center of trade and religion, and families with this name were likely integrated into the local merchant or craft guilds that defined the city’s social structure. As the family grew, they moved through the northern counties of England, leaving behind a history tied to the landscape of the region and the urban development of historic Yorkshire.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Birch-by
A settlement or farmstead located near a birch tree grove.
This name
BirkbyDerived from Old Norse elements referring to a village or homestead situated by birch trees.
also spelled
Birkbie
Birkeby
Birkebie
Documented Sources
Sir Bernard Burke, The General Armory of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, London: Harrison & Sons, 1884
Reaney, P.H., A Dictionary of English Surnames, 1991
Bardsley, Charles Wareing, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, 1901
Borthwick Institute for Archives, York Diocesan Probate Records
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wheatsheafPlenty, and the harvest of one's own labour
wheatsheafPlenty, and the harvest of one's own labour
