A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Borge family of England.
Sir Bernard Burke, The General Armory of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, London: Harrison & Sons, 1884
Blazon (the actual original written record)“Lozengy gu. and vair”
The Borge 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.
Reigning in England when the Borge arms are first recorded.
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.
The Borge family name has deep roots in the English county of Suffolk, where records confirm members of the family were living as early as 1620. During the seventeenth century, Suffolk was a bustling region defined by its agricultural output and its proximity to the North Sea, which made it a hub for trade and local industry. Families in this area often lived in small, tight-knit village communities where they worked as farmers, craftsmen, or merchants. The name itself likely originated as a topographic descriptor, referring to individuals who lived near a specific landmark or a small fortified settlement. As the family grew, they became part of the local fabric of Suffolk life, contributing to the rural economy and the social development of their parishes during a time of significant change in English history.
A fortified place or a town protected by a wall.
