Q. Do we carry out Genealogy Research?

A. No, the practice of researching the origins of family names is called ONOMASTICS whereas GENEALOGY is a research into the origins or ancestry of your own family. However the outline of the history of the origin of your own family names is often a good place to begin to research your genealogy in that it may offer useful pointers to the country or locality in which the name was originally found in addition to other useful information, such as bearers of the name and migration information.

Q. Do we have names from all over the world on our data base?

A. We currently have over a million family names from all over the world. We have the largest library of its kind in the world with access to information on millions of other names. While the majority of names on our data base tend to be European origin we do have Asian, Middle Eastern and African-American names as well.

Q. Can I preview my Family Names History or Coat of Arms on the web site before ordering?

A.We do not have the ability to show the picture form of the Coat of Arms or let you read the history at this time. Each history contains the origin of the name, how it began, the meaning of the name, vital facts about people who carried it and intriguing details and the earliest records found. It also contains a written description of the Blazon of Arms ( Coat of Arms)

Q. Are the Family Name Histories authentic?

A. Yes, each of our Family Name Histories has been individually researched at the specific request of a customer. Each fact contained in our family name history has been inserted because of its relevance to that particular family name. Click here to find out Where our information comes from .

Q. What is a Coat of Arms?

A. A Coat of Arms is an identifying mark or heraldic form of identification dating back to the European middle ages. The practice has its origins in the necessity to enable identification on the battlefield and out of this it developed, in parallel, into a form of military or other types of distinguished recognition for individuals, families, organizations or institutions. The actual coat of arms itself is composed of a blazon of arms ( in the shape of a shield ) containing specific artwork ( charges) in a combination of nine heraldic colors and metals ( Or- yellow/gold, Azure- blue, Argent, white/silver, Sable - black, Vert - green, Gules- red, Purple, Orange and Brown). This blazon is tradionally surmounted by a helmet on which is displayed the crest ( which may be related to the charges of the blazon). This combination is further enhanced by heraldic supporters such as unicorns, or lions and a mantle purporting to represent the clock worn by a knight which generally carries the predominant colors contained in the blazon.

Q. What is the difference between a Coat of Arms and Crest?

A. Many people call the Coat of Arms a Crest. The crest itself is found on the top of the helmet and most likely represented a symbol of a military leader. The history of the crest is somewhat obscure and most of the early Coat of Arms have no crest, and those that do are probably of a later time. In the heraldry of some nations, the crest is absent and only a plain helmet is employed.

Q. Does Every name have a Coat of Arms?

A. No, not every family name has a coat of arms. If our research has been unable to verify a Coat of Arms associated with a particular name, or a variant of that name, it is normal practice to make reference to the arms of the country of origin of the particular name.

Q. Can a name have more than one Coat of Arms?

A. Yes,there are often more than one Coat of Arms displayed with a particular family name. Different branches of a family or a particular individual bearer of a name may often have been granted their own Coat of Arms. Our research normally makes reference to the earliest Coat of Arms associated with the name.

Q. Is it possible to establish when and where a particular Coat of Arms has been granted and to whom?

A. Yes,however, not all source references give this much information regarding the granting of a Coat of Arms

Q. Is it possible to get's one own unique Coat of Arms?

A. Yes, Coats of Arms for individuals or organizations are still granted ( on payment of a fee and subject to an evaluation procedure ) by some chief heralds or heraldic colleges around the world.

Q. What is the delivery time for products?

A. Delivery dates are as follows: Name Histories and Color Prints, graphic items (on our data base) framed or unframed are out within the week. Hand Crafted items like the Rings, Embroideries, Hand-Painted items are special ordered and can take up to 12 weeks. Any name history research,translation, or Coat of Arms research takes up to 2-6 months. Please see specific product for approximate ship date.For more specific information go to our Order and Delivery page.

Q. Are our products available worldwide?

A. Yes, However the shipping and handling rates listed on the product pages are for US Customers. We can and do ship around the world. We will advise overseas customers of shipping rates to any location.

Q. What is our return policy?

A. We offer a complete refund on any name research or coat of arms research where we are unable to find anything on the name. As to any special order item, rings, any hand crafted item, t-shirts,caps, etc these are special ordered and not refundable. In the event there is a problem with the item such as damage due to shipping, etc. we will have it replaced. Name Histories with typo's or wrong origin will also be replaced. S&H is none Refundable.

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