Map of England showing where the Coombes arms are recorded
The Coombes 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.
James VI and I
Sovereign of the period
James VI and I
1603–1625
Reigning in England when the Coombes 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 Coombes Family in England
The surname Coombes is a topographic name that originated in England, specifically referring to people who lived in or near a "coombe," which is an old term for a deep, narrow valley or a hollow in a hillside. Because the landscape of Britain is filled with these geographical features, the name emerged independently in several different regions as a way to identify families by their local surroundings. By the time members of the family were recorded in York in 1620, the name had already been established for generations as a common way to describe one’s home. These early ancestors were likely part of the growing merchant or craft classes in the city, as York was a major hub for trade and administration during the seventeenth century. The family name serves as a direct link to the physical geography of the English countryside and the way people identified themselves through their connection to the land.
Coombes Meaning & Related Branches
Root word
cumb
A British Celtic word meaning a deep valley or hollow.
This name
CoombesA topographic name for someone who lived in or near a valley.
also spelled
Coombs
Combs
Comb
Combe
Related arms
Comb, or Combevariant spelling
Combevariant spelling
Burmanrecorded with Coombes, same area
Smithrecorded with Coombes, same area
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
Ekwall, Eilert. The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Place-names. 1960
Reaney, Percy Hide. A Dictionary of British Surnames. 1958
Borthwick Institute for Archives, York. Archbishop of York’s Diocesan Records
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saltireResolution, and St Andrew's cross
saltireResolution, and St Andrew's cross
