Hello Rootschat, a small request.

[JonHarriman]

Hello to you all, My name is Jon Harriman. I have recently found myself interested into where my family name comes from, it's history and it's meaning. Also, i would be very proud to see my family crest, if there is one. I was wondering if you could help me find some of these details or recommend sites that are likely to bring up real results on these details.

Admittedly, i did try simply google'ing "harriman family crest" and checked the first few pages. These did come up with results but as they were trying to sell me items and the fact that i checked a few friends last names and it turned out their crest was the same thing but in a different colour i wasnt completely convinced. 

I would like something that atleast seems somewhat offcial or the truth.
I come from Shepshed, in Leicestershire, England.

Thankyou for your attention and any help offered

[meles]

Hello Jon and welcome to Rootschat!

You are right to be suspicious of the sites on Google. Some will sell you ficticious crests.

If you want to know where your name came from, then you will have to go back, bit by bit, following your family line. And, like most of us, your might not find an entitlement to a crest. But you'll learn a lot about your roots.

Good luck and have fun!

meles

[stanmapstone]

According to "The Oxford Names Companion" Harriman is English: occupational name for a servant of someone who bore the given name Harry.

 A crest is a specific part of a full achievement of arms: the three-dimensional object placed on top of the helm. There is no such thing as a 'coat of arms for a surname'. Many people of the same surname will often be entitled to completely different coats of arms, and many of that surname will be entitled to no coat of arms. Coats of arms belong to individuals. 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.
http://www.college-of-arms.gov.uk/Faq.htm

Stan

[Christopher]

Hello Jon,

Welcome to RootsChat.

You may need to consider alternative spellings too.

There's a guy called Terry Harryman in Northern Ireland who is well known in the world of motor rallying. He was a co-driver for Ari Vatanen in WRC events in the 1980s.

I'd say the surname is not an Irish one. A look at the Genforum Harriman board may be worthwhile ... http://genforum.genealogy.com/harriman

Christopher

[JonHarriman]

 A crest is a specific part of a full achievement of arms: the three-dimensional object placed on top of the helm. There is no such thing as a 'coat of arms for a surname'. Many people of the same surname will often be entitled to completely different coats of arms, and many of that surname will be entitled to no coat of arms. Coats of arms belong to individuals. 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.
http://www.college-of-arms.gov.uk/Faq.htm

Stan

I see, a complete lack of understanding on my part i suppose.

Thankyou for the insight onto the meaning of the name, not the name of a heroic warrior i suppose, but i am proud non the less Thankyou very much.

[stanmapstone]

Harriman appears to be a mainly Leicester name according to the "Surname Atlas" of the 1881 Census. There were a total of 769 Harriman in the census, and the largest numbers in the English Counties were;
Leicestershire 219 (or 68 per thousand of the population of Leicestershire)
Staffordshire 107
Nottinghamshire 88
Derbyshire 48
and by by Poor Law Unions in Leicestershire were
Loughborough 86
Barrow upon Soar 47
Lutterworth 19

There were 111 Harryman of which 87 were in Kent, or 78%, and none in the main Harriman areas
Poor Law Unions
KEN Malling 37
KEN Hoo 12
KEN Tunbridge 10
LND Lewisham 10
LND Greenwich 9
KEN Maidstone 7

Stan

[kizmiaz]

I see, a complete lack of understanding on my part i suppose.

No, I wouldn't say that. It seems to be a very common belief that crests and coats of arms can be linked to surnames, and the sites you have already found are trading on that belief. I thought exactly the same thing before I got into genealogy.

If you look at several sites, you may find several completely different crests or coats of arms. I think every one should be supplied with several pinches of salt!

Oh, and welcome to Rootschat.

Glen

[LoneyBones]

not the name of a heroic warrior i suppose,

Now that isn't a given here Jon.
Harri/Harry could have been the 'man' of some heroic warrior, (King Harry?) saved his life in an herioc battle and earned himself a coat of arms. 
The voyage into family history is an adventure.

[charlotteCH]

Hi Jon, Welcome to rootschat.

As others have said, be wary of Family Crest sellers...

charlotte