What are some of the coat of arms symbols and their meanings?

Question:

What are some of the coat of arms symbols and their meanings?

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: Go to a library and check Burke's peerage.

Now with that question, someone is going to furnish you with a link to coat of arms peddlers.

In the U.S. there are no laws regarding heraldry. There are companies in the U. S. that will sell you one based on your surname alone without documented proof that you are a direct descendant of the person that was granted the coat of arms. These people, I believe, are descendants of snake oil salesmen.

You are free to display one if you wish but it is like putting up a picture of a famous person with your surname and claiming him as your direct ancestor whether you know he is or not, if you don't have documented proof. Of course, as a female you wouldn't be entitled to it but maybe your husband if he has proof.

There are many coats of arms that have the same name. For instance, there are about 200 for the surname Lewis. That means 200 different individual with the name Lewis were granted a coat of arms. That does not mean everyone named Lewis is any way related to any of the 200 people granted a coat of arms.

Not everyone with the same surname go back to the same root. There was a time when people did not have surnames. They were given or they took names based on their lineage, like Wilson, Johnson etc, or the occupaiton like miller, fisher,baker smith etc. or their habitation, living close to a lake, a town, living on a hill (they became Hill) living close to a castle. People can make the mistake of assuming if they had an ancestor living close to a castle with their surname that they are distantly related to the castle owner.