A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Yarnell family of England.
Reg. 8299 · English
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
cross symbolChristian faith and service
Colours
Blue (Azure)Means: Loyalty and truth
Gold (Or)Means: Generosity
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)
“Az. a cross engr. or”
Englandc. 1620
Where the Yarnell Arms Were Recorded
York
Map of England showing where the Yarnell arms are recorded
The Yarnell 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 Yarnell 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 Yarnell Family in England
The Yarnell family name is rooted in the historic city of York, England, where members of the family were documented as early as 1620. The name itself is believed to be a locational surname, which was a common way for people to identify themselves during the Middle Ages. It likely originated from a specific place name or a small settlement near the River Ouse, as the suffix "ell" often denoted a small valley or a specific geographic feature in Old English. Because York was a major center for trade and religious life, the Yarnell family was likely part of the growing merchant or artisan class that helped define the city’s economy during the seventeenth century. As the family grew, some members eventually migrated away from the northern counties, carrying the name across England and eventually to the American colonies, where they established new roots while maintaining the identity formed in their ancestral home.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Garnier
Derived from the Germanic elements for spear and army or warrior.
This name
YarnellA topographic name for someone who lived near a corner of land or a triangular piece of ground.
also spelled
Yarnall
Yarnill
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
The National Archives, Yorkshire Parish Registers, 1620
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cross symbolChristian faith and service
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