A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Cheek family of England.
cinquefoilHope and joySir Bernard Burke, The General Armory of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, London: Harrison & Sons, 1884
Blazon (the actual original written record)“Ar. three cinquefoils, per pale vert and gu”
The Cheek arms were recorded in Berks, c. 1620.
Berkshire sat on the road west from London with the royal castle at Windsor in the middle of it. Court families bought estates within reach, and an estate near the court almost always came with 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 Cheek 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 Cheek is believed to have originated in England as a descriptive nickname, likely referring to a person with prominent or rosy cheeks. By the early 17th century, the family had established a notable presence in the county of Berkshire, where records confirm their residence by 1620. During this era, families with this name were often involved in local agriculture and trade, living as part of the growing rural middle class. As the name spread across the English countryside, it became firmly rooted in the social fabric of southern England, eventually expanding alongside the migration patterns of the time. The history of the name reflects the common practice of turning physical traits into lasting family identifiers that have persisted for hundreds of years.
Old English term referring to the side of the face.
