Map of England showing where the Colburn arms are recorded
The Colburn arms were recorded in York Herald, c. 1567.
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.
Elizabeth I of England
Sovereign of the period
Elizabeth I of England
1558–1603
Reigning in England when the Colburn 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 Colburn Family in England
The surname Colburn is a locative name, meaning it was originally used to identify people by the place where they lived. Etymologists believe the name comes from Old English roots, specifically combining the words for a cool stream and a brook or spring. By the mid-sixteenth century, the family was well-established in the historic city of York, where records confirm their presence by 1567. During this era, families often settled near specific geographic features that defined their local landscape. Because the name describes a natural water source, it suggests that the earliest ancestors likely resided near a shaded or cold creek in Northern England. Over time, as the family moved or expanded, the name remained a permanent link to the specific environment where their lineage first took root.
Colburn Meaning & Related Branches
Root word
Col-burn
Old English elements meaning coal or cool and a stream.
This name
ColburnDerived from a location meaning a stream flowing through a coal deposit or a cool brook.
also spelled
Colborn
Colborne
Colburn
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. and Wilson, R.M., A Dictionary of English Surnames, 1991
Borthwick Institute for Archives, York Diocesan Probate Records, 1567
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chevronProtection, and faithful service completed
hunting horn stringedOne who delights in the chase
chevronProtection, and faithful service completed
hunting horn stringedOne who delights in the chase
