A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Booker family of England.
Reg. 5021 · English, A–C
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
bordureA difference between branches of one family
eagleNobility, strength and a keen mind
fleur de lisPurity, light, and the sixth son
Colours
Gold (Or)Means: Generosity
Blue (Azure)Means: Loyalty and truth
Green (Vert)Means: Hope
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, an eagle displ. vert, ducally gorged of the first, beaked and membered gu. within a bordure az. charged with three fleurs-de-lis gold”
NottinghamLondon · Nottingham, c. 1620
Where the Booker Arms Were Recorded
Nottingham
Map of England showing where the Booker arms are recorded
The Booker arms were recorded in Nottingham, c. 1620.
Nottinghamshire had coal under it and forest across it, and both were worth money. Families who profited bought manors, and a manor was the ordinary reason for a family to take 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 Booker 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 Nottingham.
Origin & History of the Booker Family in England
The surname Booker is an occupational name that dates back to the medieval period in England. It was originally used to describe a person who worked as a bleacher of cloth or a bookbinder, as the word is derived from the Old English term for a beech tree, which provided the wood used for early printing blocks and boards. By the year 1620, records confirm that members of the Booker family were well-established in Nottingham. During this era, families with this name were often involved in the local trade guilds that defined the economic life of the town. As the family grew, they became part of the steady expansion of the middle class in the East Midlands, contributing to the local industries that helped shape the region’s history.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
boc
Old English term for a beech tree or a written document.
This name
BookerAn occupational surname for a scribe, clerk, or someone who worked with books.
also spelled
Bouker
Buckar
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, Percy Hide. A Dictionary of British Surnames. 1958
bordureA difference between branches of one family
eagleNobility, strength and a keen mind
fleur de lisPurity, light, and the sixth son
bordureA difference between branches of one family
eagleNobility, strength and a keen mind
fleur de lisPurity, light, and the sixth son
