Am I entitled to use a "family" coat of arms?

No. Coats of arms belong to individuals, not families. There is no such thing as a coat of arms for a surname. Many people of the same surname will be entitled to completely different coats of arms, and more of that surname will be entitled to no coat of arms.

For any person to have a right to a coat of arms they must either have had it granted to them or be descended in the legitimate male line from a person to whom arms were granted or confirmed in the past.

In countries that have an heraldic authority - such as the College of Arms in England or the Lord Lyon in Scotland - you can apply for a coat of arms or ask to have arms confirmed.

In other countries you can make up anything you like - but you might be well advised to find a club or society that runs a voluntary system of registration. They will advise on design and warn about duplicating existing arms.

Simply adopting someone else';s arms is the hight of boorish bad taste - and guaranteed to impress people for the wrong reasons.

(If you are of Scottish descent you might be entitled to use your clan badge associated with your name - but not your clan chief's arms)

How Do I Apply for A Coat of Arms

This depends on your nationality and that of your ancestors.

See My Arms

What is a crest?

A crest is a specific part of a full achievement of arms. It is the three-dimensional object placed on top of the helm

.It is a popular misconception that the word 'crest' describes a whole coat of arms or any heraldic device. It does not.