A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Cam 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)“Paly of six ar. and az”
The Cam 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.
Reigning in England when the Cam 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 surname Cam is primarily of English origin, often serving as a topographical name for someone who lived near a crooked river or a winding bend in the land. The word itself stems from the Old Northern English and Middle English term cam, which describes anything bent or hooked. By the early seventeenth century, the family had established a notable presence in the historic city of York. Records from 1620 indicate that members of the Cam family were active participants in the local community during a period of significant social and economic change in Northern England. As residents of a major trade hub, these early ancestors likely engaged in the merchant activities or craft guilds that defined York’s economy at the time. This geographic placement suggests that the family was well-integrated into the urban life of the region, helping to shape the local history of the city as it transitioned into the modern era.
A crooked or bent river or stream.
