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The first thing that you inherit is your name. Have you ever wondered where your name came from? If you have then we can probably tell you. We hold professionally researched lists of over 500,000 names and, in most cases, the coat of arms associated with them from both Britain and Europe. From these lists we can produce reasonably priced scrolls showing just the name, the coat of arms or both. These scrolls make a beautiful and thoughtful gift or why not just treat yourself?
We have sourced the best heraldic painters and embroiderers and can offer you hand produced shields, scrolls or embroideries made specifically for you. We can also supply military, school, club and university plaques and shields. Bespoke architectural heraldic devices can be undertaken. We also carry stocks of original heritage and destination giftware
But why do we have names? At about the time that the Normans began to build Windsor Castle, surnames came into being in England. Before this, people were known by the their given or first name; but with the advent of the Domesday Book and taxes it became necessary for everyone to be known individually, so surnames were invented.
Many people were named for their father (Jackson or Williamson) whilst others were named from where they came (Langley, Townsend). The jobs that people did were responsible for many of our popular names like Smith and Miller. Some less fortunate people were named by their looks or characteristics; people originally called Crabbe could be so named because they walked like a crab or had a crab-like personality. Experts are not sure where the name Shakespeare came from; the bard could easily have been called Glover after his father’s profession but it wouldn’t have sounded as impressive as William Shakespeare, would it?
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