A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Greenly family of England.
Reg. 1579 · English, G–I
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
chevronProtection, and faithful service completed
paleMilitary strength, and a fortified defence
stagPeace and harmony, and one who will not fight unprovoked
Colours
Green (Vert)Means: Hope
ErmineMeans: Dignity
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)
“Vert a chev. per pale, erm. and erminois betw. three stags trippant, each per pale as the chev”
HerefordTitley Court · Hereford, c. 1620
Where the Greenly Arms Were Recorded
Hereford
Map of England showing where the Greenly arms are recorded
The Greenly arms were recorded in Hereford, c. 1620.
Herefordshire lay on the Welsh border, where land was held in return for military service. Families there were expected to arm and to fight, and a fighting household needed a shield it could be known by.
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 Greenly 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 Hereford.
Origin & History of the Greenly Family in England
The surname Greenly is a locative name, meaning it likely originated from a description of the landscape where the family first lived. It is derived from the Old English words for a green clearing or a meadow, suggesting that the earliest ancestors were farmers or residents of a verdant, grassy area. By the year 1620, historical records confirm that the family was well-established in the county of Hereford. During this period, families in the region were often deeply connected to the local agricultural economy and the social life of the parish. As the family grew, they became part of the fabric of Herefordshire life, leaving behind traces in local tax rolls and church registers that document their daily existence and community standing. This early presence in the West Midlands suggests that the Greenly name has deep roots in the English countryside, reflecting a long history of settlement in the rolling hills and fertile valleys near the Welsh border.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Grene
Old English word for the color green or grassy vegetation.
This name
GreenlyA topographic name for someone who lived near a village green or grassy clearing.
also spelled
Greenley
Greenlie
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
chevronProtection, and faithful service completed
paleMilitary strength, and a fortified defence
stagPeace and harmony, and one who will not fight unprovoked
chevronProtection, and faithful service completed
paleMilitary strength, and a fortified defence
stagPeace and harmony, and one who will not fight unprovoked
