Map of England showing where the Royle arms are recorded
The Royle arms were recorded in Kent, c. 1620.
Kent sits between London and the short crossing to Europe, and the trade passing through made it wealthy. Merchant families bought land with that money, and it was landowners who took coats of 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 Royle 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 Kent.
Origin & History of the Royle Family in England
The surname Royle is primarily rooted in the English landscape, with early records confirming that families bearing this name were established in the county of Kent by 1620. The name likely originated as a topographical descriptor, used to identify people who lived near a specific piece of land, such as a clearing or a rough patch of ground. In the early seventeenth century, families in Kent were often tied to the local agricultural economy, living in small rural parishes where they worked the land or practiced local trades. As the family grew and moved throughout the region, the spelling of the name occasionally shifted to reflect local dialects or the preferences of individual scribes. By settling in Kent during this period, the early Royle family became part of a long tradition of English lineage that evolved alongside the changing social and economic structures of the seventeenth century.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Regalis
Latin term meaning royal or pertaining to a king.
This name
RoyleA topographic name for someone who lived near land belonging to the king.
also spelled
Royll
Roile
Documented Sources
Sir Bernard Burke, The General Armory of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, London: Harrison & Sons, 1884
Reaney, P.H., A Dictionary of English Surnames, 1991
Kent Archives, Canterbury Cathedral Archives: Parish Registers, 1620
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bendDefence, and the scarf of a commander
cross symbolChristian faith and service
bendDefence, and the scarf of a commander
cross symbolChristian faith and service
