Map of England showing where the Mote arms are recorded
The Mote arms were recorded in Essex, c. 1620.
Essex lay close enough to London for City money to buy land there. Merchants who prospered moved out to estates within a day's ride, and a new landowner almost always wanted arms to go with the ground.
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 Mote 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 Essex.
Origin & History of the Mote Family in England
The surname Mote is rooted in the landscape of medieval England, where it likely functioned as a topographic name. In Old English, the word "mot" referred to a meeting place or a court, often situated on a mound or a small hill. People who lived near these local gathering spots or on such a mound were frequently identified by the name. By the time the family was firmly established in the county of Essex in 1620, the name had become a permanent fixture of the local community. During this period, families in Essex were often involved in agriculture or trade, living in small parishes where their names were recorded in local church registers. The transition from a descriptive label for a location to a hereditary family name reflects the way English society organized itself as people became more settled and mobile across the countryside.
Mote Meaning & Related Branches
Root word
mot
Old English word for a meeting place or assembly.
This name
MoteA topographic name for someone who lived near a meeting place or a mound.
also spelled
Mote
Documented Sources
Sir Bernard Burke, The General Armory of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, London: Harrison & Sons, 1884
Reaney, P.H., A Dictionary of British Surnames, 1958
Essex Record Office, Parish Registers of Essex, 1620
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crescentHonour by the sovereign, and the second son
crescentHonour by the sovereign, and the second son
