A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Brimfield family of England.
Reg. 1061 · English, A–C
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
lionCourage, strength and royalty
Colours
Red (Gules)Means: Military strength
Silver (Argent)Means: Peace and sincerity
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)
“Gu. three lions pass. ar”
Englandc. 1620
Where the Brimfield Arms Were Recorded
York
Map of England showing where the Brimfield arms are recorded
The Brimfield 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 Brimfield 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 Brimfield Family in England
The surname Brimfield is a locational name, which means it likely originated from a specific place rather than a trade or a nickname. Etymologically, the name is rooted in Old English, where it combines the word "brim," meaning a border or edge, with "field," referring to an open area of land. This suggests that the earliest ancestors to carry the name lived near the boundary of a clearing or a forest. By the year 1620, records confirm that members of the family were well-established in the city of York. During this period, York was a bustling center of trade and religious life, and families living there were often involved in the local merchant guilds or the skilled crafts that defined the city’s economy. As the family grew, they became part of the social fabric of Northern England, living through a time of significant political and religious change that would eventually see many families of that era look toward the wider world.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Bremesfeld
Derived from Old English words for bramble or broom and open land.
This name
BrimfieldRefers to a clearing or field where thorny shrubs or broom plants grow.
also spelled
Brimfeild
Brimfild
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
Borthwick Institute for Archives, York Diocesan Probate Records, 1620
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lionCourage, strength and royalty
lionCourage, strength and royalty
