A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Wellington family of Wales.
Reg. 5900 · Welsh, W–Z
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
saltireResolution, and St Andrew's cross
vairProtection, and the winter fur
Colours
Red (Gules)Means: Military strength
VairMeans: Protection
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)
“Gu. a saltire vair”
BreconBrecon, c. 1647
Where the Wellington Arms Were Recorded
Brecon
Map of Wales showing where the Wellington arms are recorded
The Wellington arms were recorded in Brecon, c. 1647.
Brecon was mid-Welsh hill country, held in small estates by families who stayed for generations. Land was worth less than in the lowlands, but holding it still brought 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 Wales in this period.
Charles I of England
Sovereign of the period
Charles I of England
1625–1649
Reigning in Wales when the Wellington arms are first recorded.
How Arms Worked in Wales
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 Brecon.
Origin & History of the Wellington Family in Wales
The surname Wellington is a locative name, meaning it originally identified people based on the place where they lived. It is derived from Old English roots, typically referring to a settlement associated with a person named Weola or a farmstead located near a spring. While the name is famously linked to towns in Somerset and Shropshire, the family established a notable presence in the Welsh borderlands by the mid-seventeenth century. Records confirm that members of the Wellington family were living in the town of Brecon by 1647. During this period, families in the region often moved between rural estates and growing market towns to manage trade and local governance. This migration pattern suggests that the Wellingtons were likely integrated into the social and economic life of the Brecon area as landowners or merchants during a time of significant political change in Britain.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Weolintun
Old English elements meaning settlement or estate belonging to Weola.
This name
WellingtonDerived from a place name meaning the town of the wealthy or prosperous friend.
also spelled
Welyngton
Wellyngton
Related arms
Vellingtonvariant 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, 1997
National Library of Wales, Brecon Borough Records, 1647
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saltireResolution, and St Andrew's cross
saltireResolution, and St Andrew's cross
