Hall of Names's blog

There are only seven colours in heraldry - listed below together with the heraldic term and their meanings.

Red (Gules) = Military fortitude and magnanimity

Blue (Azure) =Loyalty and truth

Black (Sable) =Constancy, and sometimes grief

Green (Vert) = Hope, joy and sometimes loyalty in love

Purple (Purpure) Royal majesty, sovereignty and justice

Gold (Or) Worthy ambition

Silver (Argent) Peace and sincerity

The Heraldic Artist Even today, the heraldic artist has a formidable challenge. Whilst he may enjoy considerable freedom, within certain limits, the objects in the arms and crest, their colors, disposition and symmetry may not be altered.

In heraldry, supporters are figures usually placed on either side of the shield and depicted holding it up. These figures may be real or imaginary animals, human figures, and in rare cases plants or inanimate objects.

Often these can have local significance, such as the fisherman and the tin miner granted to Cornwall County Council, or a historical link, such as the lion of England and unicorn of Scotland on the two variations of the Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom.

Human supporters can also be allegorical figures, or, more rarely, specifically named individuals.

Heraldry through the Ages

It is generally believed that in its beginning, heraldry originally had a strong military purpose. Men in armour were very difficult to recognise.

For example, William the Conqueror had to remove his helmet in the midst of the battle of Hastings in order to prove himself to his followers who thought he was killed.

Thus the need for identification or distinction from one's enemies became essential, especially when the closed helmet was developed.

The long history of the lands of the northern third of Great Britain has been violent and often tragic. The castles and ruins, the songs and the legends tell Scotland’s tale.

It is the harshness of its history and the ruggedness of its land that have shaped the proud Scottish people. How this country came to be, and evolved, has long taxed the minds of many historians.

At Hall of Names our passion is for excellent customer service. We enjoy looking after our customers and they come back to us again and again. The care and attention we offer means that we have dozens of fabulous testimonials from satisfied customers who know that when you deal with Hall of Names, you can expect the following:

Personal service

We want you to make the right purchase, whether you are buying products for yourself or as a gift, and we are more than happy to advise you based on our years of experience helping others just like you.

Having attended hundreds of events showcasing Hall of Names products over the years, I never cease to be amazed by the number of coincidences we come across when delving into the origins of surnames.

For example, the name ‘Starr’, I found that it could denote someone who has a patch of white hair – as indeed this particular customer had!

Another name mentions a small birthmark on the stomach which was considered the mark of a witch. The customer pulled up her top which showed a birthmark on her stomach!

The Spring Fair at the NEC is the pinnacle of the buying calendar for retailers across the UK. A total of 63,500 buyers attended the show to visit over 3000 exhibitors despite the snow!

Heraldry today

The term "heraldry" often necessitates many people to check their dictionary for the meaning, but evidence of heraldic art is everywhere today. If one takes a moment to reflect many of the coats of arms or heraldic shields seen in the normal course of a day, it becomes quite astounding.

At the moment there are at least 45,000 different surnames in the UK, all with their own significance and meaning, but how did they come about?

The surname ‘system’ came about quite simply because we needed to distinguish between different people of the same Christian name. 

Imagine if we didn’t have surnames now, we’d have to resort to calling people by characteristics or traits, such as ‘Short John’, ‘Big John’, ‘Bald John’, ‘John the Butcher’, ‘John who lives on the Hill’ etc, which is exactly what happened back in Anglo-Saxon times when communities became larger.