Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Sir Bernard Burke, The General Armory of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, London: Harrison & Sons, 1884
Blazon (the actual original written record)“Ar. fretty gu. a chief az”
A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Cureno family of England.
Sir Bernard Burke, The General Armory of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, London: Harrison & Sons, 1884
Blazon (the actual original written record)“Ar. fretty gu. a chief az”

The Cureno arms were recorded in Cumberland, c. 1664.
Cumberland was rough border country in the north-west, facing Scotland across a disputed line. Its families held land in return for keeping it defended, and men who fought carried shields of their own.
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.
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.
The family name Cureno has roots that trace back to the rugged landscapes of northern England, with documented evidence placing family members in Cumberland as early as 1664. During the seventeenth century, Cumberland was a region defined by its proximity to the Scottish border and its reliance on agriculture and mining. Families living in this area often took surnames based on their specific location, their trade, or descriptive traits that set them apart within their local parish. As the Cureno name appeared in regional records during this period, it suggests that the family was well-established within the local community life of the time. These early ancestors likely navigated the challenges of life in a border county, where shifting political loyalties and the demands of rural survival shaped the development of local family lines. Over time, the name became a permanent marker of their presence in the region, reflecting the history of the families who helped build the foundations of northern English society.
Latin verb meaning to take care of, attend to, or heal.
