A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Denmark family of Denmark.
Reg. 6525 · Danish, D–F
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
lionCourage, strength and royalty
Colours
Gold (Or)Means: Generosity
Blue (Azure)Means: Loyalty and truth
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)
“Or, three lions pass. guard. az. crowned ppr. semée of hearts gu”
CumberlandGeorge · Cumberland, c. 1689
Where the Denmark Arms Were Recorded
Map of Denmark showing where the Denmark arms are recorded
The Denmark arms were recorded in Cumberland, c. 1689.
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.
The body that granted and recorded arms in Denmark in this period.
Christian V of Denmark
Sovereign of the period
Christian V of Denmark
1670–1699
Reigning in Denmark when the Denmark arms are first recorded.
How Arms Worked in Denmark
Danish heraldry during this period was closely tied to noble status and royal favor rather than being open to all citizens. Arms were typically granted by the monarch to individuals, and these symbols were then shared by all members of the noble house. If a family line died out, the right to use those specific arms ended with them.
Granting authority
The Danish royal chancery held the power to issue and regulate official coats of arms for the kingdom.
How they got arms
Families usually received their arms through a formal royal grant that confirmed their noble status and rights.
Where arms were recorded
These grants were officially recorded in the Danish Royal Chancery records starting in the sixteenth century.
The family's standing
Recorded among the armigerous families of Cumberland.
Origin & History of the Denmark Family in Denmark
The family name Denmark likely originated as a locative surname, which was a common way to identify people by the place where they lived or originated. While the name suggests a connection to the country of Denmark, it is more probable that early ancestors adopted the name after living near a specific landmark or a settlement that shared that title. Historical records confirm that members of the Denmark family were established in the county of Cumberland by 1689. During this period, families in northern England often moved between rural parishes to find work in agriculture or local industries. As these individuals settled into the Cumberland region, their name became a permanent marker of their identity within the local community. Over generations, the family integrated into the social and economic life of the area, maintaining their distinct surname as they moved through the changing landscape of seventeenth-century England.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Dene-mearc
Borderland of the Danes or march of the Danes.
This name
DenmarkRefers to a person originating from the country of Denmark.
also spelled
Denmarck
Denmarcke
Denmerk
Denmerke
Documented Sources
Sir Bernard Burke, The General Armory of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, London: Harrison & Sons, 1884
Cumberland Archives, Quarter Sessions Records: Recognizances and Indictments, 1689
Reaney, P.H., A Dictionary of English Surnames, 1958
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lionCourage, strength and royalty
lionCourage, strength and royalty
