Map of Britain showing where the Yeaman arms are recorded
The Yeaman arms were recorded in Britain, c. 1664.
Arms such as these were typically recorded in Kent.
Kent sits between London and the short crossing to Europe, and the trade passing through made it wealthy. Merchant families bought land with that money, and it was landowners who took coats of 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 Britain in this period.
Charles II of England
Sovereign of the period
Charles II of England
1660–1685
Reigning in Britain when the Yeaman arms are first recorded.
How Arms Worked in Britain
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 Britain.
Origin & History of the Yeaman Family in Britain
The surname Yeaman is rooted in the medieval English word "yeoman," which originally described a person of respectable social standing who owned and cultivated his own small plot of land. During the Middle Ages, this title evolved from a description of a specific job into a formal surname as families began to adopt hereditary names to distinguish themselves in growing communities. By the mid-seventeenth century, the name was firmly established in the county of Kent, where records confirm the presence of the family by 1664. These early ancestors were likely part of the independent farming class that formed the backbone of the English countryside during the Restoration era. Over time, the spelling of the name stabilized as families moved from rural villages into larger towns and cities, carrying their history as landholders into the modern age.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Yeoman
A free man who owns and cultivates his own land.
This name
YeamanAn occupational surname for a small landowner or an attendant in a royal household.
also spelled
Ieamans
Yemans
Yeaman
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Reaney, P.H., A Dictionary of English Surnames, 1958
Bardsley, Charles Wareing, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, 1901
The National Archives, Hearth Tax Returns for Kent, 1664
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