Earll Coat of Arms Record & History

A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Earll family of England.

Reg. 0858 · English, D–F

Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details

Where the Earll Arms Were Recorded

Somerset
Map of England showing where the Earll arms are recorded

The Earll arms were recorded in Somerset, c. 1620.

Somerset was rich farming country with a thick scattering of manor houses. Its gentry were numerous and long-settled, and a settled landed family almost always ended up with 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.

Region
Somerset
First recorded
1620

Granting Authority for the Earll Arms

Arms of College of Arms
College of Arms Sodacan · CC BY-SA 3.0
Authority

College of Arms

1484-present

The body that granted and recorded arms in England in this period.

Portrait of James VI and I
James VI and I
Sovereign of the period

James VI and I

1603–1625

Reigning in England when the Earll 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 Somerset.

Origin & History of the Earll Family in England

The Earll family name finds its roots in the English countryside, with historical records placing members of the family in the county of Somerset by the year 1620. The name itself is a variation of the Old English word for a nobleman, which suggests that early ancestors may have held positions of local authority or served in the households of regional leaders. During the early seventeenth century, families in Somerset were often tied to the land through farming or trade, and the Earll name appears in local parish registers that document the daily lives of these residents. As the century progressed, some individuals bearing this name chose to leave their homes in the West Country to seek new opportunities in the American colonies. This migration was part of a larger movement of English settlers who carried their local customs and family names across the Atlantic, effectively establishing the Earll lineage in a new world while maintaining the traditions of their Somerset origins.

Related Branches & Arms

Root word
eorl

Old English term for a nobleman, warrior, or man of rank.

This name
EarllA hereditary title denoting a person of noble birth or high social status.
also spelled
Earle
Erll
Earll

Documented Sources

Sir Bernard Burke, The General Armory of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, London: Harrison & Sons, 1884

Coldham, Peter Wilson, The Complete Book of Emigrants: 1607–1660, 1987

Somerset Archives, Parish Registers of Somerset, 1620

Reaney, P.H., A Dictionary of British Surnames, 1958

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