A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Crabb family of England.
Reg. 4804 · English, A–C
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
chevronProtection, and faithful service completed
fleur de lisPurity, light, and the sixth son
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. a chev. betw. three fleurs-de-lis ar”
CornwallCastlewich · Cornwall, c. 1620
Where the Crabb Arms Were Recorded
Cornwall
Map of England showing where the Crabb arms are recorded
The Crabb arms were recorded in Cornwall, c. 1620.
Cornwall was a county apart, with its own language and its own tight-knit gentry. Tin and the sea made money there, and families who made it bought land, which is what brought arms with it.
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 Crabb 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 Cornwall.
Origin & History of the Crabb Family in England
The surname Crabb is rooted in the Old English word crabbe, which was a nickname often given to someone with a grumpy personality or a crab-like gait. By the time members of the family were documented in Cornwall in 1620, the name had already been established in England for several centuries. Many early families with this name lived in coastal regions, where they were often involved in fishing or maritime trades. The rugged landscape of Cornwall provided a distinct environment for these early settlers, who likely integrated into the local mining and farming communities that defined the region during the seventeenth century. As the family grew, they became part of the local social fabric, leaving behind records in parish registers that track their movements and daily lives across the southwestern peninsula of England.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Crabba
An Old English term referring to a crab or a shellfish.
This name
CrabbA nickname for a person with a crab-like gait or a cantankerous personality.
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, 1958
Cornwall Archives, Parish Registers of Cornwall, 1620
Bardsley, Charles Wareing, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, 1901
Digital archive packCoat of arms PNG, gold border print PDF, vector SVG and the certificate of authenticity. Sent to your email in minutes.
chevronProtection, and faithful service completed
fleur de lisPurity, light, and the sixth son
chevronProtection, and faithful service completed
fleur de lisPurity, light, and the sixth son
