Is a family crest the same as a coat of arms?

Not strictly. A coat of arms is the design on the shield, and the crest is only the small figure that sits on top of the helmet above it. People often say family crest when they mean the whole design, and most heralds understand what they mean, but the two words name different parts.

Does my last name have a coat of arms?

Almost certainly not as a surname. In England and Scotland, arms are granted to one person and pass to that person's descendants. Other people with the same last name have no right to them. Your family only has arms if you descend from someone who was granted them.

Can I make my own coat of arms?

Yes. Designing arms for personal use, such as a reunion, a wedding or a gift, is fine almost everywhere. It is not an official grant. In the United States anyone may assume arms. In Scotland, using arms that are not recorded with the Lord Lyon can be an offence.

How much does an official coat of arms cost?

It depends on the country. The College of Arms in England lists a fee of 9,600 pounds for a personal grant of arms and crest from 1 January 2026. Canada charges a processing fee plus design and artwork costs. Scotland sets its fees by statute and publishes a scale.

Family Crest vs Coat of Arms | What's the Real Difference

A coat of arms is the full design on a shield, while a family crest, strictly speaking, is only the small figure that sits on top of the helmet above the shield. Most people say “family crest” when they mean the whole coat of arms, and that’s fine in everyday talk, but heralds use the two words for different things.

The bigger surprise for most people is this: in English and Scottish heraldry, a coat of arms belongs to one person, not to a surname. So “the Smith coat of arms” usually doesn’t exist in the way it’s sold.

What Is the Difference Between a Family Crest and a Coat of Arms?

The coat of arms is the shield and what’s on it: the colors, the divisions and the figures, called charges. The crest is a separate piece. It sits on a twisted wreath on top of the helmet, above the shield. A lion’s head, an arm holding a sword or a bird are common crests.

When you put everything together (shield, helmet, crest, mantling, motto and sometimes supporters) you get what heralds call the achievement. The guide to the parts of a coat of arms shows where each piece goes.

Term	What it strictly means	How people use it
Coat of arms	The design on the shield	The whole emblem
Crest	The figure on top of the helmet	The whole emblem
Achievement	Shield plus every accessory	Rarely used outside heraldry
Arms	Same as coat of arms	Same

So if someone asks for a “family crest design,” they almost always want a full coat of arms. You don’t need to correct them. Just know the difference when you read heraldry books or deal with an official body.

Is a Family Crest Real?

Coats of arms are real, and they still get granted today. What is usually not real is the idea that every surname has one. In England and Scotland, arms are granted to a named person. They pass down to that person’s heirs, normally in the male line, and younger sons and their families often have to add a small change to show they are a different branch. That system is called cadency.

Two people named Campbell can have no connection at all. Sharing a surname doesn’t give you a right to arms that someone else’s ancestor was granted. The Court of the Lord Lyon in Scotland makes this point in practice: to use an ancestor’s arms there, you must prove your descent from the person who was granted them and then record your own version, a process called matriculation.

Some sellers offer “your surname’s coat of arms” printed on mugs, plaques and certificates. Usually they have looked up one coat of arms once granted to someone with that name and presented it as belonging to everyone with the name. The design may be historically real, but the claim that it’s yours usually isn’t. Treat these products as decoration, not as proof of anything about your family. The same goes for the question of whether you can buy a coat of arms: you can buy a picture, not the right to the arms.

Does My Family Have a Coat of Arms?

Your family has arms only if you descend from a person who was granted or confirmed them, and you’re in the line that inherits them. Finding out takes some genealogy. Here’s where to look.

Build your family tree first. You need names, dates and places going back several generations, with birth, marriage and death records to back them up.
Check the College of Arms. The College keeps the official records of arms for England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Its officers can search those records for you.
Check the Lord Lyon’s register. For Scottish ancestors, the Public Register of All Arms and Bearings in Scotland has held every Lyon grant since 1672.
Use Burke’s General Armory carefully. Sir Bernard Burke’s General Armory (1884 edition) lists thousands of arms by surname. It’s a helpful starting point, but it doesn’t tell you who was entitled to each coat, and some entries were never officially recorded. Confirm anything you find against the official registers.
Look at old family items. Signet rings, bookplates, silverware and gravestones sometimes show arms. They give you a clue, not proof.

If you do find an ancestor with arms, you’ll still need to prove the link, generation by generation, before you can use them. There is a shorter checklist for finding your family coat of arms in the FAQ.

How to Get an Official Coat of Arms

Each country with a heraldic authority has its own process. The United States doesn’t have one for private arms.

Country	Who grants arms	Key points
England, Wales, Northern Ireland	College of Arms	Petition (called a memorial) through an officer of arms. Fee for a personal grant of arms and crest from 1 January 2026: 9,600 pounds
Scotland	Court of the Lord Lyon	Petition to the Lyon Clerk. Fees set by statute. Usually 30 to 36 months
Canada	Canadian Heraldic Authority	Canadian citizens may petition. Treated as an honour. Processing fee plus design and art costs
Ireland	Chief Herald of Ireland	Not taking new applications for now
United States	No authority	You may assume arms and register them privately

England, Wales and Northern Ireland

You start by contacting an officer of arms at the College of Arms. You submit a petition called a memorial to the Earl Marshal, and the herald works with you on the design. The College’s page on granting arms lists the fees, which are set by Earl Marshal’s Warrant. A personal grant of arms and crest costs 9,600 pounds from 1 January 2026, and extras like a badge cost more.

Scotland

You petition the Court of the Lord Lyon through the Lyon Clerk. Petitioners are generally people living in Scotland or owning a home there, or people of Scottish descent who can prove it. You’ll need legal proof such as birth and marriage certificates, and petitions take about 30 to 36 months. The Lord Lyon’s coats of arms page explains the types of petition. It also says that if a coat of arms isn’t properly recorded in the Public Register, it’s a criminal offence to use it in Scotland.

Canada

Canadian citizens and Canadian organizations can petition the Chief Herald of Canada. It isn’t free. The Canadian Heraldic Authority Fee Order sets a processing fee, and the design, final painting and calligraphy are paid separately. Because a grant is treated as an honour, individuals send proof of citizenship and a short biography that includes community service.

Ireland

The Office of the Chief Herald of Ireland, part of the National Library of Ireland, grants and confirms arms. As of 2026 its office says it isn’t accepting new applications until further notice. Check back with the office before planning an Irish grant.

United States

There’s no official heraldic authority for private arms in the US. The US Army Institute of Heraldry only handles military and government symbols. Americans can simply assume arms, meaning design their own and use them (more on whether Americans can have a coat of arms). Some private groups keep registers. The American Heraldry Society lets members show their arms in a members’ roll, though it says that isn’t a registration. The American College of Heraldry registers assumed arms for a fee.

How to Design Your Own Coat of Arms

For a reunion, a wedding, a gift, a team or a fantasy house, you don’t need a grant. You can design something new in the free coat of arms maker, download it, and use it however you like. That’s personal use, not an official grant, and it’s a good way to start a family tradition of your own. Arms on wedding invitations are a popular first project.

To keep your design clearly yours and not a copy of someone’s real arms:

Don’t copy a real coat of arms. If you find the arms of someone with your surname, use them as inspiration only. Change the colors, the layout or the main charge. A particular artist’s drawing can also be protected, so read whether family crests are copyrighted before you reuse a picture.
Pick a charge that means something to you. A trade, a hometown, a hobby or a family story. The guide to coat of arms symbols lists common charges and what they’re said to mean.
Use a less common division. A plain field with one lion is everywhere. Per chevron, per pall or tierced looks more distinctive. See heraldic divisions and ordinaries.
Follow the rule of tincture. Put metals on colours and colours on metals so the design reads clearly. The rule of tincture explains why.
Add a motto that fits. A short Latin phrase or a line in your own language. Browse Latin mottos for ideas.

If you live in Scotland, keep your design for private and decorative use, because using unrecorded arms there can be an offence. Anywhere else, your homemade arms are as personal as a family photo.

Ready to start? The step-by-step guide on how to make a coat of arms walks through shield, colors, charges and motto, or you can open the Coat of Arms Creator and start clicking.