Map of England showing where the Pinckney arms are recorded
The Pinckney arms were recorded in Northumberland, c. 1620.
Northumberland was border country facing Scotland, raided and fought over for three hundred years. Families held their land in return for defending it, and a defending household carried a shield.
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 Pinckney 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 Northumberland.
Origin & History of the Pinckney Family in England
The Pinckney family name traces its roots to the northern regions of England, where members of the family were firmly established in Northumberland by the year 1620. The name itself is locational in origin, meaning it was likely adopted by individuals who lived near or hailed from a specific place known as Picquigny in the Picardy region of France. Following the Norman Conquest of 1066, many families with ties to this French territory migrated across the English Channel to settle in various parts of Britain. Over several centuries, the spelling evolved from its original French form into the version recognized today. By the early 17th century, the Pinckneys in Northumberland were part of the local social fabric, contributing to the agricultural and community life of the border counties during a period of significant regional change.
Pinckney Meaning & Related Branches
Root word
Pincquigny
A locative name derived from a place in the Somme department.
This name
PinckneyRefers to an individual who originated from the town of Picquigny in France.
also spelled
Pinkney
Pynckney
Pynkeny
Related arms
Pinckny, or Pynkennyvariant spelling
Pinkeneyvariant spelling
Pinkneyvariant spelling
Documented Sources
Sir Bernard Burke, The General Armory of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, London: Harrison & Sons, 1884
Reaney, P.H. and Wilson, R.M., A Dictionary of English Surnames, 1991
The National Archives, State Papers Domestic: James I, 1603–1625
fusilTravail and industry
lozengeHonour and nobility, and the arms of a woman
fusilTravail and industry
lozengeHonour and nobility, and the arms of a woman
