Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Sir Bernard Burke, The General Armory of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, London: Harrison & Sons, 1884
Blazon (the actual original written record)“Az. a saltire or”
A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Hyndman family of Scotland.
Sir Bernard Burke, The General Armory of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, London: Harrison & Sons, 1884
Blazon (the actual original written record)“Az. a saltire or”
The Hyndman arms were recorded in Scotland, c. 1748.
Arms such as these were typically recorded in Edinburgh.
Edinburgh was the seat of Scotland's government, its courts and its heralds. Families with business there settled nearby, and being close to where arms were recorded is exactly why so many of them appear.
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.
Scottish heraldry is unique because it treats a coat of arms as a piece of personal property protected by law. Only one person can own a specific design at any given time. When a family grows, the head keeps the original shield while other relatives must apply for their own distinct version with slight changes to prove their specific identity.
The surname Hyndman is primarily of Scottish origin and is linked to the historical landscape of the Lowlands. While the name appears in various spellings throughout early records, it is deeply connected to the social and professional life of Edinburgh by the mid-eighteenth century. During this era, families bearing the name were active participants in the city's growing urban economy, often working as skilled tradesmen or merchants. The name likely evolved from a descriptive term for a servant or a man who tended to livestock, reflecting the common practice of naming individuals based on their occupation or role within a rural community. As these families moved into the capital city of Edinburgh around 1748, they became part of a vibrant period of Scottish history known as the Enlightenment, which saw significant changes in trade, education, and city life. By establishing themselves in such a prominent urban center, the early Hyndman family helped solidify the name as a recognized part of the local population.
Old English term for a dog keeper or hound man.
