Heraldry is messy. Honestly, if you go online right now and search for the Butler family coat of arms, you’re going to find a dozen different websites trying to sell you a "family crest" printed on a coffee mug or a polyester T-shirt. Most of them are wrong. Or, at the very least, they’re only giving you a tiny, pixelated slice of a story that spans nearly a thousand years of Irish and English history.
You see, there isn't just one "Butler" shield.
The idea that every person with the same last name shares one specific coat of arms is a total myth. It’s a marketing gimmick born in the Victorian era and perfected by the internet. Real heraldry is tied to a specific lineage—a direct line of descent. If you’re a Butler, your history is likely tied to the massive shadow cast by the House of Ormonde, but that doesn't mean you can just slap their gold and blue "chief indented" on your stationary without checking the receipts first.
The Great Indented Chief: Decoding the Symbols
When you look at the most famous version of the Butler family coat of arms, you see something very specific at the top. It’s called a "chief indented." Basically, it looks like a zigzag line separating the top third of the shield from the bottom. In the world of the Butlers of Ormonde, this is usually gold (Or) on a blue (Azure) field.
Why the zigzag? Some heraldic experts, like the late Sir Iain Moncreiffe, suggested these patterns were often just easy-to-recognize markers for knights on a muddy battlefield. But for the Butlers, it became a brand.
It’s simple. It’s bold. It screams "I own half of Ireland."
Then you have the cups. This is where the name comes from. The family wasn't originally called Butler; they were the FitzWalters. The name changed because Theobald FitzWalter was appointed "Chief Butler of Ireland" by King Henry II in 1177. The job was exactly what it sounds like: he was the guy who poured the King's wine at coronations. It was a high-status, high-trust position. Consequently, many Butler arms feature three gold cups. It’s a literal representation of their job title. If you see three cups on a shield, you're almost certainly looking at a branch of the family that wants you to remember their royal connections.
The Problem with "Crests"
People use the word "crest" to mean the whole coat of arms. It’s a pet peeve for historians. The crest is actually just the thing that sits on top of the helmet. For the main Butler line, the crest is often a falcon rising out of a plume of feathers.
Why a falcon? It usually symbolizes someone who wouldn't rest until they reached their goal. It’s a predator’s symbol. In the context of the Anglo-Norman invasion of Ireland, that feels pretty tracks-on-the-ground accurate.
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The Ormonde Connection and the Kilkenny Powerhouse
If you have Butler roots, you’re probably looking toward Kilkenny. The Earls of Ormonde were the "A-list" Butlers. They lived in Kilkenny Castle for nearly 600 years. Because they were so powerful, their version of the Butler family coat of arms became the "default" in the public imagination.
But here’s the thing: they were constantly fighting with the Fitzgeralds. The "Butler vs. Geraldine" feud was the Irish version of the Hatfields and McCoys, just with more armor and more land at stake. This rivalry actually influenced the heraldry. You’ll see variations in the shields of cadet branches (the younger sons who moved away) because they needed to distinguish themselves from the main Earl. They might change the colors or add a "label"—a small bar with three points—to show they weren't the head of the house yet.
I’ve spent time looking at the funeral entries in the National Library of Ireland. You can see how these arms evolved. When a Butler married an heiress from another family, they would "quarter" the shield. They’d split it into sections to show off both bloodlines. If you find a Butler coat of arms with six or eight different sections, you’re looking at a family that was strategically marrying into money and power for centuries.
The Myth of the "One True Shield"
Let’s be real. If your name is Butler and you don’t have a documented genealogy linking you to a specific armigerous (arms-bearing) ancestor, you technically don’t have a coat of arms.
Heraldry in the UK and Ireland is regulated. In Ireland, it falls under the Chief Herald of Ireland. In England, it’s the College of Arms. They don't recognize "family names" having arms—only individuals do.
Does that mean you can't display one? Of course not. It’s a free country. But if you’re looking for historical accuracy, you have to look for the "differencing."
- The Butlers of Dunboyne: They used the same blue and gold but often added specific symbols to show they were a separate branch.
- The Butlers of Mountgarret: Another powerful branch with their own specific tweaks to the shield.
- The English Butlers: Many families in England took the name Butler because they were, well, butlers. Their arms often involve different colors entirely—lots of reds (Gules) and silvers (Argent)—and have zero connection to the Irish lords.
It’s kinda like DNA testing. You might share a surname with a billionaire, but that doesn’t mean you’re in the will.
How to Actually Trace Your Butler Heraldry
If you want to find the specific Butler family coat of arms that belongs to your lineage, you can't start with the shield. You have to start with the people.
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- Find your "Gateway Ancestor": This is the person who first came to your country (like the US, Canada, or Australia).
- Locate the County of Origin: Were they from Kilkenny? Tipperary? Or maybe Yorkshire?
- Check the "Landed Gentry" records: Books like Burke’s Peerage or Landed Gentry are the gold standard. They list the arms specifically granted to various Butler branches.
If your ancestors were tenant farmers in the 1800s, they almost certainly didn't have a coat of arms. But—and this is a big "but"—they likely lived on land owned by a Butler who did. In those cases, the arms represent the history of the region and the clan system your family was a part of, even if they weren't the ones wearing the signet ring.
Color Theory and Meaning
In the Butler family coat of arms, the colors aren't accidental. In heraldry, these are called "tinctures."
Gold (Or): This represents generosity and elevation of mind. For a family that literally served the King his wine, showing "generosity" was a key part of the brand.
Blue (Azure): This stands for loyalty and truth.
Ermine: You’ll often see ermine (the white fur with black spots) in the more elaborate Butler achievements. This was a symbol of royalty and high judicial status.
The three covered cups, which are the most iconic part of the Butler imagery, are almost always gold. They are usually depicted as "covered" because, historically, you didn't want someone dropping poison into the King's drink. It’s a weirdly practical detail for a symbol of nobility.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Butler Motto
Most people think "Butler" is the only word on the scroll. It’s not. The most famous motto associated with the Butler family coat of arms is Comme Je Trouve.
It’s Old French. It translates to "As I find."
It’s a bit of a flex. It basically means, "I take things as they come and I handle them," or "I find it this way, and I keep it." It reflects the Norman-French origins of the family before they became "more Irish than the Irish themselves."
If you see a Butler shield with a different motto, like Depressus Extollor (I am lifted up after being depressed), you’re looking at the Mountgarret branch. Mottos are actually the easiest way to tell which Butler "club" you’re looking at.
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Why It Still Matters in 2026
We live in a digital world, but there's this deep human urge to belong to something old. The Butler family coat of arms isn't just a cool graphic. It’s a map of survival. This family survived the Cromwellian invasions, the Williamite Wars, and the eventual collapse of the great Irish estates.
When you look at the shield, you’re looking at a visual resume of a family that managed to stay relevant from the 1100s all the way through the 20th century.
If you’re researching this for a tattoo, a family reunion, or just a personal project, don’t just grab the first image you see on a stock photo site. Look for the "indented chief." Look for the "three covered cups." Those are the marks of the real deal.
Practical Steps for Your Research
Stop looking at "surname sites." They are designed to sell you stuff, not give you history.
Instead, head over to the National Archives of Ireland or the UK National Archives. They have digitized versions of the "Visitations." These were official census-takers for heraldry who traveled around to make sure people weren't faking their coats of arms.
Look for the "Butlers of Ormond" records specifically if you have Irish roots. If you find a mention of your ancestor’s townland associated with a specific branch, you’ve hit the jackpot.
You can also check the Registry of Deeds Index Project Ireland. It’s a volunteer-run site that’s incredible for finding where Butlers owned land. Land ownership and coats of arms went hand-in-hand. No land, usually no arms.
Verify everything. If a site tells you that "all Butlers are descended from a Viking prince," close the tab. The Butlers are Anglo-Normans. Their history is well-documented, gritty, and doesn't need fake Viking stories to be interesting.
The real Butler family coat of arms is a piece of living history. Treat it like a primary source document, not a clip-art file, and you’ll find a much cooler story waiting for you.