Map of England showing where the Wooldridge arms are recorded
The Wooldridge arms were recorded in England, 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 Wooldridge 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 Wooldridge Family in England
The surname Wooldridge is a locative name, meaning it was originally derived from a specific place rather than an occupation or a personal trait. Etymologists believe the name stems from the Old English words for a wool shed or a clearing near a wooded area, suggesting that the earliest ancestors lived near a farm or a forest boundary. By the year 1620, records confirm that members of the Wooldridge family were firmly 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 wool industry or regional commerce. These early settlers were part of a growing class of citizens who helped shape the social and economic landscape of Northern England before many of their descendants eventually traveled across the Atlantic to build new lives in the American colonies.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Wold and Ridge
Old English terms for open high ground and a raised land formation.
This name
WooldridgeRefers to someone who lived near a ridge located on an open, treeless upland area.
also spelled
Wooleridge
Woleridge
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
Borthwick Institute for Archives, York Diocesan Probate Records, 1620
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cross symbolChristian faith and service
crescentHonour by the sovereign, and the second son
cross symbolChristian faith and service
crescentHonour by the sovereign, and the second son
