A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Hagel family of England.
Reg. 1920 · English, G–I
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
escutcheonA shield within a shield, and a claim inherited
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. two bars or, in chief an escutcheon of the last”
Englandc. 1620
Where the Hagel Arms Were Recorded
York
Map of England showing where the Hagel arms are recorded
The Hagel 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.
James VI and I
Sovereign of the period
James VI and I
1603–1625
Reigning in England when the Hagel 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 England.
Origin & History of the Hagel Family in England
The surname Hagel has deep roots that trace back to early Germanic and Old English linguistic traditions. In the context of the family’s presence in York by 1620, the name likely functioned as a descriptive identifier for individuals living near specific geographic landmarks or working in particular trades. During the early seventeenth century, York was a bustling center of commerce and administration, and families like the Hagels were often integrated into the local parish life and urban economy. The name itself is thought to derive from terms relating to the weather or local topography, suggesting that the earliest ancestors were deeply connected to the rural landscapes of Northern England. As the family established themselves in the city, they became part of the growing middle class that helped shape the social and cultural fabric of York during the Stuart period.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Haga
Old English term referring to an enclosure, hedge, or hawthorn bush.
This name
HagelA topographic name for someone who lived near a fenced enclosure or a hawthorn hedge.
also spelled
Hagel
Hagall
Hagale
Documented Sources
Sir Bernard Burke, The General Armory of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, London: Harrison & Sons, 1884
Reaney, P.H. and Wilson, R.M., A Dictionary of English Surnames, 1991
Bardsley, Charles Wareing, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, 1901
Borthwick Institute for Archives, York Diocesan Archives: Parish Registers of York, 1620
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escutcheonA shield within a shield, and a claim inherited
escutcheonA shield within a shield, and a claim inherited
