Explaining Family Crest Terminology

For many years I have had an interest in “Coats of Arms”, which are often referred to as Family Crests.  Family Crests are located directly on top of the wreat on the Coat of Arms, which is above the helmet, mantle and shield.  Habitation origin, occupational origin and occupative origin is typical of terminology that may be used in Heraldry.  If you have studied Heraldry or are involved, you already know that it is very easy to understand.

Some samples of Heraldic terminology and their meanings are as follows.


The surname is of occupational origin.

What does this statement imply?

This means that it is a part of that category of surnames that were derived from a position that was held or the occupation that was pursued by the original bearer of the name.



Here is an example;
One old English name – Burgess – is a surname of occupational origin. A burgess was a person that had accumulated a lot of land and was not required to give service to the King of England. Another source of the Burgess name is in Ireland. A notable person who bore this name was Cathal Brugha (1874-1922). He was a courageous Republican leader, who was killed in the Civil War of 1922. He was a person who came from an old Dublin Family whose name was Burgess. 
 
The surname is of occupative origin.

What is the explanation of this statement?


The name originally came from the occupation of some of the common trades of Medieval Europe.  It gives us a glimpse as to what the daily lives of some of our ancestors were like.
An example is;


Stelmack is a name that orginally came from the old Germanic name “Stellmacher”. This name is from Poland and is of occupative origin. If you translate this name into English, it means carriage maker. Stelmach was a name that was first introduced during the emigration from Europe to the United States in the nineteenth century. Kirilo Stelmach was a name that was recorded in North America in 1897.
 
The name is of habitation origin.

What is the explanation of this statement?


The name was from the place or home of the original bearer of the name.

The following is an example;


“Krysztaki” was an old name from Poland that was classified as a name of habitational origin. Anyone who may have had this name could have had a sign or engraving that was placed above the door where they lived  A geographical feature would have indicated where the residence was on this sign. Mikolaj Frystacki was a variant of the name of Krysztaki and was cited in the Sandomiera region in or around the year 1436.


A person name Waclow Frystacki entered the United States in 1907 through the port of Ellis Island in New York. Another person to mention with this name is Professor Krysataf Frystacki, who is the head of the Sociology Department of Jagiellonian University in Krakow.


Even though the Heraldic terminology was written in an old fashioned way, I hope that you will find some of it to be very simple. Parts of it were translated from Latin and the language it was written in at the that time was Norman French.
 
To show and display your earliest “Coat of Arms” can be done in many ways.  But, here are some of the world's favourite ways;
 
The Family Crest Ring will be engraved with your earliest crest or shield.  Included is your name.
 
The Family Seal Ring is reversed engraved.  This will allow you to make the Family Seal in wax on letters and valuable documents.
 
The Family Crest Banner comes embroidered with your earliest “Coat of Arms”, which also shows your crest and the markings on your shield.
 
The Family Crest Plaque has your earliest “Coat of Arms” that is either embroidered or painted on it. They come in a single or double format and will make for a unique and beautiful display that can be put in your home or office.
 
The Family Crest Pendant is very often a gift for a family member or loved one. These can be bought from Societygifts. They come in Gold or Silver and are engraved with your family's earliest recorded “Coat of Arms”.