A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Earth family of England.
Reg. 9875 · English, D–F
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
stagPeace and harmony, and one who will not fight unprovoked
Colours
Silver (Argent)Means: Peace and sincerity
Black (Sable)Means: Constancy
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 stags' heads couped sa. collared or”
WiltsDinton · Wilts, c. 1620
Where the Earth Arms Were Recorded
Wilts
Map of England showing where the Earth arms are recorded
The Earth arms were recorded in Wilts, c. 1620.
Wiltshire was sheep country, and wool made money steadily for hundreds of years. Families who made it bought manors on the downs, and holding a manor was the usual reason to take 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 Earth 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 Wilts.
Origin & History of the Earth Family in England
The surname Earth is a rare English locative name that likely originated as a descriptive term for people living on or near specific types of soil or land. By the early seventeenth century, historical records confirm that members of the Earth family were well-established in the county of Wiltshire. In 1620, these individuals were documented as part of the local population, suggesting that the family had been rooted in the region for some time before this date. Because surnames often evolved from nicknames or geographical features, the name likely identified early ancestors by their connection to the earth or farmland they cultivated. This link to the landscape suggests that the family were likely agrarian workers or landowners who became known by their proximity to the ground they worked. Over generations, this simple identifier became a permanent family name that persisted through the centuries in the West Country of England.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Erthe
Middle English term for soil, ground, or the physical world.
This name
EarthAn occupational or topographic name for someone who lived on or worked the land.
also spelled
Erth
Erthe
Related arms
Erthevariant spelling
Mayowrecorded with Earth, same area
Sandersrecorded with Earth, same area
Documented Sources
Sir Bernard Burke, The General Armory of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, London: Harrison & Sons, 1884
Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre, Wiltshire Visitations Pedigrees, 1623, 1623
Reaney, P.H., A Dictionary of English Surnames, 1958
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stagPeace and harmony, and one who will not fight unprovoked
stagPeace and harmony, and one who will not fight unprovoked
