A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Farey family of England.
Sir Bernard Burke, The General Armory of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, London: Harrison & Sons, 1884
Blazon (the actual original written record)“Gyronny of twelve ar. and az”
The Farey arms were recorded in England, c. 1620.
Arms such as these were typically recorded in York.
Yorkshire is the largest of the English counties, and it held more gentry families than any other. Land there was split among a great many households rather than a few, so a great many of them carried 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.
Reigning in England when the Farey arms are first recorded.
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.
The surname Farey is rooted in the historical landscape of Northern England, with documented evidence placing members of the family in the city of York as early as 1620. The name is believed to have originated as a descriptive nickname or a locational identifier, likely evolving from Old English or Middle English terms used to describe a person’s trade or their place of residence. During the seventeenth century, York was a bustling center of commerce and administration, which suggests that early Farey families were likely integrated into the urban economy as skilled tradespeople or merchants. As the family grew, they established deep roots within the local community, participating in the parish life and civic duties that defined life in a major cathedral city. Over time, the spelling of the name became standardized through church records and legal documents, reflecting the transition of the family from local residents to a recognized part of the regional history of Yorkshire.
Middle English term for beautiful, handsome, or fair in appearance.
