A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Rawlings family of England.
Reg. 9468 · English, P–S
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
swordJustice, and military honour
Colours
Black (Sable)Means: Constancy
Gold (Or)Means: Generosity
Historical info
Source
Sir Bernard Burke, The General Armory of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, London: Harrison & Sons, 1884
Blazon (the actual original written record)
“Sa. three swords paleways, points in chief, hilts and pommels or”
CornwallSaunders' Hill · Cornwall, c. 1620
Where the Rawlings Arms Were Recorded
Cornwall
Map of England showing where the Rawlings arms are recorded
The Rawlings arms were recorded in Cornwall, c. 1620.
Cornwall was a county apart, with its own language and its own tight-knit gentry. Tin and the sea made money there, and families who made it bought land, which is what brought arms with it.
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 Rawlings 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 Cornwall.
Origin & History of the Rawlings Family in England
The surname Rawlings is a patronymic name, which means it originated as a way to identify a person as the son of someone named Rawlin. Rawlin itself was a common medieval diminutive form of the name Ralph, a name of Germanic origin that became popular in England after the Norman Conquest. By the early seventeenth century, the Rawlings family had established a notable presence in the rugged landscape of Cornwall. Living in this southwestern corner of England, these early family members were likely involved in the region’s traditional industries such as tin mining, fishing, or coastal farming. Because Cornwall was somewhat isolated from the rest of the country by geography and its unique Celtic heritage, families like the Rawlings often maintained strong local ties and deep roots within their specific parishes for many generations.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Raul
A Germanic name meaning wolf counsel or wise wolf.
This name
RawlingsA patronymic surname meaning son of Raw, a diminutive form of Ralph.
also spelled
Rawlins
Rawlyngs
Related arms
Woodsimilar arms
Rawlinsvariant 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
swordJustice, and military honour
swordJustice, and military honour
