A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Byatt family of England.
Reg. 1642 · English, A–C
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
chiefAuthority, wisdom and dominion
wheatsheafPlenty, and the harvest of one's own labour
escallopThe pilgrim's shell, and a long journey made
Colours
Red (Gules)Means: Military strength
Blue (Azure)Means: Loyalty and truth
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)
“Paly of four and gu. on a chief az. a garb of the first betw. two escallops ar”
SuffolkSuffolk, c. 1730
Where the Byatt Arms Were Recorded
Suffolk
Map of England showing where the Byatt arms are recorded
The Byatt arms were recorded in Suffolk, c. 1730.
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.
George II of Great Britain
Sovereign of the period
George II of Great Britain
1727–1760
Reigning in England when the Byatt 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 Suffolk.
Origin & History of the Byatt Family in England
The surname Byatt is considered a locative name, which means it likely originated from a specific place or a geographical feature near where an early ancestor lived. Etymologists often link the name to the Old English term "bi-yate," which translates to "by the gate." This suggests that the first people to carry the name may have lived near the entrance of a walled town, a manor house, or a significant field gate. By the time the family was firmly established in Suffolk during the 1730s, the name had evolved from these descriptive roots into a stable hereditary surname. Families in this region during the eighteenth century were often tied to the local agricultural economy, and the Byatt name became a permanent fixture in the parish records of East Anglia as the family grew and settled into the rural landscape.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Biat
A diminutive form of the Old French name Beatrice.
This name
ByattA patronymic or metronymic surname derived from a pet form of the name Beatrice, meaning she who brings happiness.
also spelled
Byet
Biatt
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
Suffolk Archives, Parish Registers of Suffolk, 1730
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chiefAuthority, wisdom and dominion
wheatsheafPlenty, and the harvest of one's own labour
escallopThe pilgrim's shell, and a long journey made
chiefAuthority, wisdom and dominion
wheatsheafPlenty, and the harvest of one's own labour
escallopThe pilgrim's shell, and a long journey made
