A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Coton family of England.
Reg. 0077 · English, A–C
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
eagleNobility, strength and a keen mind
Colours
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)
“Az. an eagle with wings elevated ar”
NorfolkAshill · Norfolk, c. 1620
Where the Coton Arms Were Recorded
Norfolk
Map of England showing where the Coton arms are recorded
The Coton arms were recorded in Norfolk, c. 1620.
Norfolk grew rich on wool and grain, and its wealth was spread among many middling families rather than a few great ones. Households of that kind bought land and took arms, and the county holds a large share of English names.
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 Coton 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 Norfolk.
Origin & History of the Coton Family in England
The surname Coton is a locative name, which means it was originally used to identify people who lived in or near a specific place called a "cot," an Old English term for a small cottage or shelter. By the time the family was firmly established in Norfolk in 1620, the name had already been in use for several centuries across various parts of England. Families bearing this name often lived in rural farming communities where they worked the land or managed small estates. Because the name was tied to a common type of building, it emerged independently in different regions, meaning that not all people named Coton are necessarily related by blood. In the early seventeenth century, the Coton family in Norfolk was part of a society transitioning through significant agricultural and social changes, and their presence in the region reflects the deep roots that many families had in their local parishes during this era.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
cote
A small shelter, hut, or cottage used for housing livestock.
This name
CotonA topographic name for someone who lived in or near a small cottage or farmstead.
also spelled
Cottone
Cottun
Related arms
Coetonvariant spelling
De Cottonvariant spelling
Edwardsrecorded with Coton, same area
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, 1991
Norfolk Record Office, Parish Register Transcripts, 1620
Ekwall, Eilert, The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Place-names, 1960
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eagleNobility, strength and a keen mind
eagleNobility, strength and a keen mind
