A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Harken family of Ireland.
Sir Bernard Burke, The General Armory of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, London: Harrison & Sons, 1884
Blazon (the actual original written record)“Or, two bars dancettée gu”
The Harken arms were recorded in Ireland, c. 1645.
Arms such as these were typically recorded in Dublin.
Dublin was the seat of government in Ireland and the place where grants were sought and recorded. Families with business at the castle or the courts settled nearby, and settling there put their arms on record.
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 Ireland in this period.
Reigning in Ireland when the Harken arms are first recorded.
The Ulster King of Arms granted coats of arms to individuals who proved their social standing and good character. These symbols were typically inherited by all legitimate descendants of the original holder. If a family branch wanted a unique look, they could apply for a specific change to their design through the office to ensure their identity remained distinct.
The family name Harken is deeply rooted in the historical landscape of seventeenth-century Dublin. Records confirm that members of the family were established residents of the city by 1645, a period defined by significant social and political upheaval in Ireland. During this era, Dublin served as a bustling center of trade and administration, attracting families who were often involved in the city’s growing merchant class or local governance. The name itself likely evolved from older Gaelic or Norse linguistic influences that were common in the coastal regions of the Irish Sea. As the family became integrated into the urban fabric of Dublin, they participated in the daily life of a city navigating the transition between medieval traditions and the modern era. Their presence in the capital during the mid-1600s suggests that the Harken family was part of the foundational population that helped shape the city’s development during one of its most transformative centuries.
Descendant of the person named Earchán, meaning little iron or little stallion.
