A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Simison family of Scotland.
Sir Bernard Burke, The General Armory of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, London: Harrison & Sons, 1884
Blazon (the actual original written record)“Per pale indented erm. and gu”
The Simison arms were recorded in Scotland, c. 1748.
Arms such as these were typically recorded in Edinburgh.
Edinburgh was the seat of Scotland's government, its courts and its heralds. Families with business there settled nearby, and being close to where arms were recorded is exactly why so many of them appear.
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 Scotland in this period.
Reigning in Scotland when the Simison arms are first recorded.
Scottish heraldry is unique because it treats a coat of arms as a piece of personal property protected by law. Only one person can own a specific design at any given time. When a family grows, the head keeps the original shield while other relatives must apply for their own distinct version with slight changes to prove their specific identity.
The surname Simison is a patronymic name, which means it originated as a way to identify a person as the son of someone named Simon. While the name is relatively rare, historical records confirm that families bearing the Simison name were established in Edinburgh by 1748. During the eighteenth century, Edinburgh was a growing center for trade and professional life, and families like the Simisons were often part of the rising urban middle class. Because the name is rooted in the popular given name Simon, it likely emerged independently in different regions before becoming a fixed family surname. Early members of the family in Scotland were often involved in local commerce or specialized trades, contributing to the development of the city during a time of significant social and economic change.
Derived from the Hebrew name Shimon meaning he has heard.
