Map of England showing where the Fincham arms are recorded
The Fincham arms were recorded in Norfolk, c. 1620.
Norfolk grew rich on wool and grain, and its wealth was spread among many middling families rather than a few great ones. Households of that kind bought land and took arms, and the county holds a large share of English names.
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 Fincham 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 Norfolk.
Origin & History of the Fincham Family in England
The surname Fincham is a locative name, meaning it originated from a specific place rather than a trade or a personal characteristic. The name is derived from the village of Fincham in the county of Norfolk, which was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Phincham. In Old English, this name likely translates to the homestead or enclosure belonging to a man named Finc. By the time members of the family were firmly established in Norfolk during the early 17th century, the name had been linked to this specific landscape for hundreds of years. Families often adopted the name of their home village as a way to identify themselves when they traveled or conducted legal business in nearby towns. Because the name is tied to the geography of East Anglia, it reflects the deep roots that many families developed within the rural parishes of Norfolk long before the era of mass migration.
Fincham Meaning & Related Branches
Root word
Finc
An Old English personal name derived from the word for finch.
This name
FinchamRefers to the homestead or settlement belonging to the family of Finc.
also spelled
Fyncham
Fynchame
Related arms
Gerlingerecorded with Fincham, same area
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
Reaney, P.H. A Dictionary of British Surnames. 1958
The National Archives. Domesday Book: Great Domesday. 1086. (Reference: E 31/2)
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bendDefence, and the scarf of a commander
bendDefence, and the scarf of a commander
