Map of England showing where the Buxton arms are recorded
The Buxton arms were recorded in Derby, c. 1620.
Derbyshire had lead mines in its hills and good grazing in its valleys. Both made steady money, and families who made it bought manors, which is what put their names into the heraldic records.
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 Buxton 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 Derby.
Origin & History of the Buxton Family in England
The surname Buxton is a locative name, meaning it originated from a specific place rather than a trade or a personal characteristic. It is derived from the town of Buxton in Derbyshire, which was known in Old English as *Buchestanes*, meaning "buck stones" or "deer stones." By the time members of the family were documented in Derby in 1620, the name had already been established in the region for several centuries. Families often took the name of their home village when they moved to larger towns to seek new opportunities or trade. Because the area around Derbyshire was rich in limestone and natural springs, early ancestors likely lived in a landscape defined by these distinct geological features. This connection to the geography of the Peak District remains the most significant link to the family's earliest origins.
Buxton Meaning & Related Branches
Root word
Buc-tun
Old English for buck or male deer and a settlement or enclosure.
This name
BuxtonA place name referring to a settlement located near a deer park or enclosure.
also spelled
Buckston
Buxtoun
Related arms
Buckstonvariant spelling
Caulxrecorded with Buxton, same area
Foxrecorded with Buxton, same area
Rossingtonrecorded with Buxton, same area
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, 1958
Mills, A.D., A Dictionary of English Place-Names, 1991
Derbyshire Record Office, Derby St. Alkmund Parish Registers, 1620
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cantonA mark of honour granted by the sovereign
stagPeace and harmony, and one who will not fight unprovoked
cantonA mark of honour granted by the sovereign
stagPeace and harmony, and one who will not fight unprovoked
