Map of England showing where the Pickering arms are recorded
The Pickering arms were recorded in Surrey, c. 1620.
Surrey sat just south of London and filled up with families who had made money in the City. Buying an estate there was the usual next step, and an estate was the usual reason to take 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 Pickering 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 Surrey.
Origin & History of the Pickering Family in England
The surname Pickering is a locative name, meaning it was originally used to identify people who came from the town of Pickering in North Yorkshire. The name itself likely comes from the Old English words for a settlement belonging to the people of a man named Pycre. By the early seventeenth century, members of the family had migrated south, and records confirm their presence in Surrey by 1620. During this era, families often moved to follow new trade opportunities or to settle on land in developing regions near London. As these individuals established themselves in Surrey, they helped carry the name from its northern roots into the heart of southern English life. This migration pattern was common for many families at the time who were looking to build new lives in growing communities.
Pickering Meaning & Related Branches
Root word
Pykering
A place name derived from Old English meaning a pointed hill.
This name
PickeringRefers to someone who originated from the town of Pickering in North Yorkshire.
also spelled
Pykering
Related arms
Dennissimilar arms
Longrecorded with Pickering, same area
Turnerrecorded with Pickering, same area
Willisrecorded with Pickering, same area
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
Surrey History Centre, Parish Register Transcripts for Surrey, 1620
Ekwall, Eilert, The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Place-names, 1960
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