Tracking Your Family Crest

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  Family Cresteagle crest image by Ekaterina Lozanova from Fotolia.com
  
  Consult the Internet and search for your family crest by typing in your surname. Consult websites such House of Names or Roots Web Ancestry to facilitate your search. Compare the information on several websites for consistency on the origin of your family crest and its signification.
  
  
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  Heraldryheraldica image by ANTONIO ALCOBENDAS from Fotolia.com
  
  Basic information about your family name on websites is free. Consult websites such as All Family Crests, 20-20 Site and The Tree Maker. Type in your surname to see if there is a crest for your family. Typically, most websites carry family crests of Irish, German, Scottish, Italian, Spanish, English, Scottish, Welsh, Canadian, Australian and American origin.
  
  
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  Family shieldsmanitoba crest image by Peter Helin from Fotolia.com
  
  A family crest or coat of arms contains symbols, colors and designs that have special meaning for where your family came from and what your name means. These symbols are different from family crest to family crest, but there are some general guidelines common to all crests. Studying these will give you insights into the origin of your family.