Heraldic Colors and Symbols: What Do They Mean?

When you design a coat of arms or family crest, the colors and symbols you choose can tell a story. Heraldry developed a shared language of meaning over centuries. You don’t have to follow every rule, but knowing the traditional meanings helps you pick elements that fit your family or your values.

Heraldic colors (tinctures)

In classic heraldry, a few colors dominate. Each had a standard meaning:

• Red (Gules): Courage, sacrifice, and martial strength. One of the most common colors on shields.
• Blue (Azure): Loyalty, truth, and constancy. Often used for royalty and nobility.
• Green (Vert): Hope, joy, and sometimes land or fertility. Common in arms linked to nature or agriculture.
• Black (Sable): Constancy, grief, or determination. Used for contrast and solemnity.
• Gold (Or): Generosity, faith, and wisdom. Often shown as yellow in print.
• Silver or white (Argent): Peace, sincerity, and purity. Works well next to darker colors.

Combining two or three of these keeps the design clear. Too many colors can make a coat of arms busy and hard to read at a distance.

Animals and what they often mean

Animals appear often on coats of arms. Their pose and type carry meaning:

• Lion: Bravery, nobility, and strength. The most common heraldic animal. A "lion rampant" (standing on one hind leg) is a classic pose.
• Eagle: Strength, vision, and authority. Often shown with wings spread. Double-headed eagles appear in some European traditions.
• Wolf: Perseverance, loyalty to family, and guardianship. Sometimes shown in a pack.
• Bear: Strength and protectiveness. Often shown standing.
• Stag or deer: Peace, harmony, and the hunt. Antlers can suggest nobility.
• Dolphin: Speed, friendship, and the sea. Good for maritime or coastal themes.
• Owl: Wisdom and learning. Fits families with a strong tradition of education.

You can use one main animal as the focus of your shield or crest, or combine a couple if your description supports it.

Objects and shapes

Objects on a shield often reflect a profession, a place, or a value:

• Anchor: Hope, steadfastness, and seafaring. Ideal for naval or coastal heritage.
• Ship: Adventure, travel, and safe passage. Common in port cities and sailing families.
• Oak tree: Strength, endurance, and longevity. A single oak can anchor a design.
• Book or quill: Learning, wisdom, and scholarship. Suits teachers, writers, and academics.
• Crown: Authority, victory, or loyalty to the crown. Use with care so it doesn’t look like a false claim of rank.
• Sword: Justice, courage, and military service. Often shown upright or crossed with another.
• Key: Knowledge, guardianship, or the opening of opportunity. Can suggest trust or responsibility.

Shapes matter too. A chevron (a V shape) can suggest protection or the roof of a house. Stripes (bars or bends) were used to distinguish branches of a family. Simple shapes read well at small sizes, so they work on rings and stamps.

Using this when you design

You don’t have to stick to these meanings exactly. Modern coats of arms can mix tradition with personal meaning. If red is your family color, use it even if you’re not focused on courage. If a wolf fits your story, use it. The goal is a design that feels true to you and still reads as heraldic. When you create your own coat of arms, a short description that mentions colors and symbols you like is enough to get a unique design. This list is here to give you ideas and a bit of the language behind them.