A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Grainger family of England.
Reg. 8480 · English, G–I
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
applePeace, plenty and long-standing settlement
Colours
Red (Gules)Means: Military strength
Gold (Or)Means: Generosity
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)
“Gu. a pomegranate slipped and leaved or, seeded of the first”
EssexEssex, c. 1620
Where the Grainger Arms Were Recorded
Essex
Map of England showing where the Grainger arms are recorded
The Grainger arms were recorded in Essex, c. 1620.
Essex lay close enough to London for City money to buy land there. Merchants who prospered moved out to estates within a day's ride, and a new landowner almost always wanted arms to go with the ground.
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 Grainger 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 Essex.
Origin & History of the Grainger Family in England
The surname Grainger is an occupational name that originated in medieval England to describe a person who managed a grange. A grange was a farm owned by a monastery or a feudal lord, and the individual in charge was responsible for overseeing the collection of tithes and the storage of grain. By the time members of the family were documented in Essex in 1620, the name had become well-established throughout the region. During this period, the Graingers were typically connected to the agricultural life of the English countryside, often working as skilled farmers or stewards who held significant roles in their local parishes. As the family grew, they became deeply integrated into the social and economic fabric of Essex, reflecting the broader transition of English society from a monastic-led economy to one defined by independent landholders and local trade.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
granarium
Latin term for a storehouse or granary.
This name
GraingerAn occupational name for a farm bailiff or a person in charge of a granary.
also spelled
Granger
Graynger
Related arms
Grangervariant spelling
Documented Sources
Sir Bernard Burke, The General Armory of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, London: Harrison & Sons, 1884
Reaney, P.H., A Dictionary of British Surnames, 1958
Bardsley, Charles Wareing, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, 1901
Essex Record Office, Parish Registers of Essex, 1620
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applePeace, plenty and long-standing settlement
applePeace, plenty and long-standing settlement
