A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Dummer family of England.
Reg. 8991 · English, D–F
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
crescentHonour by the sovereign, and the second son
billetThe sealed letter, and a message delivered
Colours
Blue (Azure)Means: Loyalty and truth
Gold (Or)Means: Generosity
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 crescent betw. six billets, three, two, and one or”
HantsDummer · Hants, c. 1620
Where the Dummer Arms Were Recorded
Hants
Map of England showing where the Dummer arms are recorded
The Dummer arms were recorded in Hants, c. 1620.
Hampshire had the naval dockyards at Portsmouth on one side and good farmland on the other. Sea money and land money both bought estates, and an estate was what brought a family its coat of arms.
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 Dummer 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 Hants.
Origin & History of the Dummer Family in England
The surname Dummer is rooted in the landscape of southern England, specifically within the county of Hampshire. The name is classified as a locative surname, meaning it was originally taken from the small village of Dummer located near Basingstoke. During the early 17th century, the family established a notable presence in this region, with records confirming their residency in Hampshire by 1620. Over time, individuals bearing this name became deeply integrated into the local community, often appearing in parish registers and legal documents as landowners and active citizens. While the family name began as a way to identify someone from a specific geographic location, it eventually evolved into a permanent hereditary surname that traveled with family members as they moved throughout England and eventually across the Atlantic to the American colonies.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Dum
Old English term for a hill or a rounded mound.
This name
DummerRefers to someone who lived near or on a prominent hill or mound.
also spelled
Dumer
Dummar
Related arms
Dumervariant spelling
Documented Sources
Sir Bernard Burke, The General Armory of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, London: Harrison & Sons, 1884
Ekwall, Eilert, The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Place-names, 1960
Hampshire Archives, Bishop’s Transcripts of Parish Registers, 1620
Reaney, P.H., A Dictionary of British Surnames, 1958
Digital archive packCoat of arms PNG, gold border print PDF, vector SVG and the certificate of authenticity. Sent to your email in minutes.
crescentHonour by the sovereign, and the second son
billetThe sealed letter, and a message delivered
crescentHonour by the sovereign, and the second son
billetThe sealed letter, and a message delivered
