A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Hamme family of England.
Reg. 6334 · English, G–I
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
fishA true and generous mind, and Christian faith
Colours
Green (Vert)Means: Hope
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)
“Vert two lucies endorsed in pale or”
SuffolkSuffolk, c. 1620
Where the Hamme Arms Were Recorded
Suffolk
Map of England showing where the Hamme arms are recorded
The Hamme arms were recorded in Suffolk, c. 1620.
Suffolk was wool country, and its cloth towns were among the wealthiest in England. Clothier families bought manors with their profits, and holding a manor was the ordinary route to a coat of 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 Hamme 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 Suffolk.
Origin & History of the Hamme Family in England
The surname Hamme is rooted in the landscape of medieval England, where it originated as a topographical name. In Old English, the word "ham" referred to a homestead, a village, or a piece of land situated in a river meadow. People who lived near these specific geographic features often adopted the name to identify themselves within their local communities. By the year 1620, records confirm that members of the Hamme family were well-established in the county of Suffolk. During this period, families in Suffolk were often deeply connected to the agricultural life of the region, and the name likely served as a simple way to distinguish residents based on where their family farm or dwelling was located. As these families grew and moved, the name became a permanent marker of their ancestral ties to the English countryside.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Hamm
Old English term for a meadow or land enclosed by a river.
This name
HammeA topographic name for someone who lived near a river meadow or an enclosed piece of land.
also spelled
Ham
Related arms
Hamvariant 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 English Surnames, 1958
Suffolk Archives, Suffolk Parish Registers, 1620
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fishA true and generous mind, and Christian faith
fishA true and generous mind, and Christian faith
