A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Holcomb family of England.
Sir Bernard Burke, The General Armory of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, London: Harrison & Sons, 1884
Blazon (the actual original written record)“Az. two bars wavy (another, nebulée) erm”
The Holcomb 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.
Reigning in England when the Holcomb arms are first recorded.
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.
The Holcomb family name originates from Old English roots, specifically combining the words for a hollow or valley and a small, narrow ravine. This topographical description suggests that the earliest ancestors likely lived near a distinct geographical feature in the English countryside. By the year 1620, records confirm that members of the family were established in the historic city of York. During this period, the family was part of a society transitioning through significant religious and social changes in Northern England. These early Holcombs were likely involved in local trades or agriculture, contributing to the steady growth of the region before some members eventually sought new opportunities across the Atlantic. The name remains a testament to the family's deep connection to the English landscape and their long history within the urban centers of the seventeenth century.
Old English for hollow or valley and a small valley or dingle.
