Map of England showing where the Pulford arms are recorded
The Pulford arms were recorded in Chester, c. 1620.
Cheshire was governed apart from the rest of England for much of its history, with its own courts and its own gentry. That separateness bred a strong local landed class, and landed families 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.
James VI and I
Sovereign of the period
James VI and I
1603–1625
Reigning in England when the Pulford 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 Chester.
Origin & History of the Pulford Family in England
The surname Pulford is a locational name, meaning it was originally taken from a specific place rather than a trade or personal trait. The name originates from the village of Pulford in Cheshire, which is located just south of the city of Chester near the border of Wales. The name itself comes from Old English roots, combining the words for a pool and a ford, likely describing a crossing point over a stream or a marshy area. By the time members of the family were documented in Chester in 1620, the name had already been established in the region for several centuries. Families living in or near the village of Pulford during the medieval period would have been identified by their connection to that land, and as they moved into the city of Chester for work or trade, they carried the name with them. This transition from a rural village identity to a city-dwelling family reflects the broader movement of people toward urban centers during the early seventeenth century.
Pulford Meaning & Related Branches
Root word
Pull-ford
A pool or stream crossing point.
This name
PulfordRefers to a person who lived near a pool or a ford in a river.
also spelled
Pulleford
Documented Sources
Sir Bernard Burke, The General Armory of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, London: Harrison & Sons, 1884
Mills, A.D., A Dictionary of English Place-Names, 2011
Cheshire Archives and Local Studies, Bishop's Transcripts of Chester St Oswald, 1620
Reaney, P.H., A Dictionary of British Surnames, 1991
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