Map of England showing where the Whittall arms are recorded
The Whittall arms were recorded in Constantinople, c. 1620.
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.
James VI and I
Sovereign of the period
James VI and I
1603–1625
Reigning in England when the Whittall 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 Whittall Family in England
The family name Whittall is rooted in the landscape of northern England, where it likely originated as a descriptive term for a person living near a specific geographic feature. Etymologists often link the name to the Old English words for a white nook or a white valley, suggesting that the earliest ancestors lived in a distinctively pale or chalky hollow. By the year 1620, records confirm that members of the Whittall family were well-established in the city of York. During this period, York was a bustling center of trade and religious life, and families living there were often involved in the local merchant guilds or the skilled crafts that supported the city’s economy. As these individuals moved through the narrow, medieval streets of York, they helped solidify the name as a permanent fixture of the region’s social fabric. Over time, the family spread from these urban origins into the surrounding countryside, carrying their history through generations of labor and community life in Yorkshire.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Hwita-heall
Old English for white or pale hall or manor house.
This name
WhittallA locational surname referring to someone who lived at or near a white-colored hall.
also spelled
Whytall
Documented Sources
Sir Bernard Burke, The General Armory of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, London: Harrison & Sons, 1884
Bardsley, Charles Wareing, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, 1901
Reaney, P.H., A Dictionary of British Surnames, 1958
York City Archives, York Freemen’s Register, 1620
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chevronProtection, and faithful service completed
greyhoundCourage, vigilance and loyalty
crescentHonour by the sovereign, and the second son
chevronProtection, and faithful service completed
greyhoundCourage, vigilance and loyalty
crescentHonour by the sovereign, and the second son
