A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Ducat family of Scotland.
Reg. 9258 · Scottish, D–F
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
serpentWisdom, healing and prudence
Colours
Silver (Argent)Means: Peace and sincerity
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)
“Ar. three serpents gliding fesseways in pale az”
Scotlandc. 1748
Where the Ducat Arms Were Recorded
Edinburgh
Map of Scotland showing where the Ducat arms are recorded
The Ducat arms were recorded in Scotland, c. 1748.
Arms such as these were typically recorded in Edinburgh.
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.
The body that granted and recorded arms in Scotland in this period.
George II of Great Britain
Sovereign of the period
George II of Great Britain
1727–1760
Reigning in Scotland when the Ducat 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 Scotland.
Origin & History of the Ducat Family in Scotland
The surname Ducat is primarily associated with the Lowlands of Scotland, where the family established a notable presence by the mid-eighteenth century. Historical records confirm that members of the Ducat family were living in Edinburgh as early as 1748, a time when the city was undergoing significant social and intellectual transformation during the Scottish Enlightenment. The name itself likely originated as a descriptive nickname or a locational identifier, potentially linked to the historical gold coin known as a ducat, which circulated widely across European trade routes. While the family was firmly rooted in the urban environment of Edinburgh by the 1700s, their ancestors were likely part of the broader migration patterns that brought families from rural districts into the growing capital city to participate in the expanding legal, mercantile, and academic professions of the era.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
ducatus
Latin term meaning leadership, command, or the office of a duke.
This name
DucatAn occupational name for someone who served in the household of a duke.
also spelled
Ducket
Dukatt
Related arms
Ducketvariant spelling
Documented Sources
Sir Bernard Burke, The General Armory of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, London: Harrison & Sons, 1884
National Records of Scotland, Edinburgh Register of Marriages, 1748
Black, George Fraser, The Surnames of Scotland: Their Origin, Meaning, and History, 1946
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serpentWisdom, healing and prudence
serpentWisdom, healing and prudence
