A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Seay family of England.
Sir Bernard Burke, The General Armory of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, London: Harrison & Sons, 1884
Blazon (the actual original written record)“Barry wavy of six or and gu. three prawns naiant of the second”
The Seay 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.
Reigning in England when the Seay arms are first recorded.
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.
The surname Seay is believed to have originated in England, with historical records placing members of the family in the county of Kent as early as 1620. The name likely evolved as a variation of older occupational or locational surnames common in the region during the seventeenth century. Families bearing this name were often part of the rural population, living in small parishes where they worked in agriculture or local trades. As the seventeenth century progressed, some individuals with this name sought new opportunities across the Atlantic, contributing to the early migration patterns that established the family in the American colonies. This movement helped the name spread from its English roots into diverse regions, where it eventually became a distinct part of the local history in several states.
Old English word meaning sea or a large body of water.
