A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Farnham family of England.
Reg. 5629 · English, D–F
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
crescentHonour by the sovereign, and the second son
Colours
Gold (Or)Means: Generosity
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)
“Quarterly, or and az. in the 1st and 2nd quarters a crescent of the second”
LeicesterQuerne · Leicester, c. 1563
Where the Farnham Arms Were Recorded
Leicester
Map of England showing where the Farnham arms are recorded
The Farnham arms were recorded in Leicester, c. 1563.
Leicestershire was grazing country, and wool and cattle made steady money rather than spectacular fortunes. Steady money bought manors, and manors are what brought families into the registers.
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.
Elizabeth I of England
Sovereign of the period
Elizabeth I of England
1558–1603
Reigning in England when the Farnham 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 Leicester.
Origin & History of the Farnham Family in England
The surname Farnham is a locative name, meaning it was originally derived from a specific place rather than a trade or personal trait. The name comes from Old English roots, combining the words for fern and a homestead or enclosure, which suggests that the earliest families lived near a clearing where ferns grew in abundance. By the mid-sixteenth century, the family had established a notable presence in Leicester, as evidenced by local parish records from 1563. During this era, families often took the name of their village or estate to distinguish themselves from others in the growing towns of England. As the family expanded from these rural roots into the urban landscape of Leicester, they became part of the local social fabric that defined the region during the Tudor period.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
fearn and hamm
Old English words for fern and an enclosed area or meadow.
This name
FarnhamA meadow or enclosure where ferns grow.
also spelled
Farnhamme
Related arms
Bertierecorded with Farnham, same area
Documented Sources
Sir Bernard Burke, The General Armory of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, London: Harrison & Sons, 1884
Bardsley, Charles Wareing, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, 1901
Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland Record Office, Parish Register of St. Martin’s, Leicester, 1563
Reaney, Percy Hide, A Dictionary of British Surnames, 1958
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crescentHonour by the sovereign, and the second son
crescentHonour by the sovereign, and the second son
