Map of England showing where the Wareham arms are recorded
The Wareham arms were recorded in England, c. 1502.
Arms such as these were typically recorded in York.
Yorkshire is the largest of the English counties, and it held more gentry families than any other. Land there was split among a great many households rather than a few, so a great many of them 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.
Henry VII of England
Sovereign of the period
Henry VII of England
1485–1509
Reigning in England when the Wareham 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 England.
Origin & History of the Wareham Family in England
The surname Wareham is a locative name, meaning it was originally taken from a specific place to identify a person’s origins. The name is derived from the town of Wareham in Dorset, which sits between the Piddle and Frome rivers. The name itself comes from the Old English words "wer," meaning a weir or fish trap, and "ham," meaning a homestead or village. By the time the family appeared in York in 1502, the name had already spread far from its southern roots. Families often moved to major northern cities like York to seek new opportunities in the thriving wool and textile trades that defined the region during the late Middle Ages. As these individuals settled in new areas, they carried the name of their ancestral home with them, helping to establish the family line in the north of England.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Werham
Old English words for a weir or dam and a homestead.
This name
WarehamRefers to a settlement located near a river dam or fish trap.
also spelled
Warhome
Documented Sources
Sir Bernard Burke, The General Armory of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, London: Harrison & Sons, 1884
Ekwall, Eilert. The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Place-names. 1960
Reaney, P.H. A Dictionary of British Surnames. 1958
Borthwick Institute for Archives, University of York. Probate Records of the Diocese of York, Series 1500–1510
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fessThe military belt, and readiness to serve
goats headWisdom, and one who wins by policy rather than force
escallopThe pilgrim's shell, and a long journey made
fessThe military belt, and readiness to serve
goats headWisdom, and one who wins by policy rather than force
escallopThe pilgrim's shell, and a long journey made
