Armiger

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In heraldry, an armiger is a person entitled to use a heraldic achievement (e.g., bear arms, an "armour-bearer") either by hereditary right, grant, matriculation, or assumption of arms. Such a person is said to be armigerous; a family or a clan likewise.

Etymology

The Latin word armiger literally means "arms-bearer". In high and late medieval England, the word referred to an esquire attendant upon a knight, but bearing his own unique armorial device.^[1]

Armiger was also used as a Latin cognomen, and is now found as a rare surname in English-speaking countries.^{[citation needed]}

Modern period

Today, the term armiger is well-defined only within jurisdictions, such as

The usage of a heraldic achievement is usually governed by legal restrictions; these restrictions are independent of the copyright status and independent of a coat of arms depiction. A coat of arms represents its owner. Though it can be freely represented, it cannot be appropriated, or used in such a way as to create a confusion with or a prejudice to its owner.^{[citation needed]}

In the Netherlands, titles of nobility are regulated by law but heraldry is not. In Sweden and Finland the nobility has had, since 1762, the prerogative to use an open helmet, while others use a closed helmet.^{[citation needed]}

In the Spanish nobility, armígero was a low specific rank to which a certain group of untitled nobles were entitled. In modern heraldry, the term blasonado is also used.^[2]

Further reading

• Coss, Peter R. (1995). "Knights, esquires and the origins of social gradation in England". Transactions of the Royal Historical Society. Sixth Series. Cambridge University Press. pp. 155–78.
  ISBN 9780521552004
  .

• Heraldic Achievement – Full display of coat of arms
• Armigerous clan
• Heraldry – Heraldic achievements' design and transmission
• Law of heraldic arms – Law governing the possession, use or display of coats of arms or armorial bearingsPages displaying wikidata descriptions as a fallback
• Women in heraldry

References