Coult Coat of Arms Record & History

A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Coult family of Scotland.

Reg. 3959 · Scottish, A–C

Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details

Where the Coult Arms Were Recorded

Edinburgh
Map of Scotland showing where the Coult arms are recorded

The Coult arms were recorded in Edinburgh, c. 1748.

Edinburgh was the seat of Scotland's government, its courts and its heralds. Families with business there settled nearby, and being close to where arms were recorded is exactly why so many of them appear.

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.

Region
Edinburgh
Town
Inveresk
First recorded
1748

Granting Authority for the Coult Arms

Arms of Court of the Lord Lyon
Court of the Lord Lyon Sodacan · CC BY-SA 3.0
Authority

Court of the Lord Lyon

c. 1318-present

The body that granted and recorded arms in Scotland in this period.

Portrait of George II of Great Britain
George II of Great Britain
Sovereign of the period

George II of Great Britain

1727–1760

Reigning in Scotland when the Coult arms are first recorded.

How Arms Worked in Scotland

Scottish heraldry is unique because it treats a coat of arms as a piece of personal property protected by law. Only one person can own a specific design at any given time. When a family grows, the head keeps the original shield while other relatives must apply for their own distinct version with slight changes to prove their specific identity.

Granting authority
The Court of the Lord Lyon acts as the official body that regulates and controls all heraldic matters throughout Scotland.
How they got arms
Individuals obtain a legal right to their arms through a formal petition process that confirms their identity and family connection.
Where arms were recorded
All valid coats of arms are officially entered into the Public Register of All Arms and Bearings starting from 1672.
The family's standing
Recorded among the armigerous families of Edinburgh.

Origin & History of the Coult Family in Scotland

The surname Coult is deeply rooted in the history of the Scottish Lowlands, with records confirming the family’s presence in Edinburgh as early as 1748. The name is generally considered a variant of the older name Colt, which likely began as a descriptive nickname for a person who was energetic or youthful, much like a young horse. During the eighteenth century, members of the Coult family in Edinburgh were often integrated into the professional and academic life of the city, contributing to the vibrant intellectual culture of the Scottish Enlightenment. As the family grew, they established themselves within the urban landscape of Scotland’s capital, moving away from rural roots to become part of the growing middle class. By tracing their movements through local parish registers and legal documents, historians can see how the family name evolved alongside the changing social structures of eighteenth-century Scotland.

Related Branches & Arms

Root word
Cult

A piece of land or a small farmstead.

This name
CoultDerived from a topographic location or habitational name referring to someone living near a small farm.
also spelled
Colt
Related arms
Coatssimilar arms
Coltvariant spelling
Masonrecorded with Coult, same area
Sligorecorded with Coult, same area

Documented Sources

Sir Bernard Burke, The General Armory of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, London: Harrison & Sons, 1884

Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland: Their Origin, Meaning, and History, 1946

National Records of Scotland, Edinburgh Register of Marriages, 1701–1750, Series OPR 685/1

National Records of Scotland, Testaments and Inventories, Edinburgh Commissary Court, Series CC8/8

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