Nobility, strength and a lofty spirit

The Eagle Coat of Arms: Meaning and Design

After the lion, the eagle is the most important creature in heraldry, and the favorite of empires. Here is what it stands for and how to design an eagle crest of your own. Designing is free and needs no account. When you love it, $9 gets the whole set: print-ready art (4000 px PNG and SVG), a certificate of arms explaining its meaning, a profile picture and a phone wallpaper. For a family gift or a wax seal, the $19 Heirloom set adds an engraving, seal, bookplates and a house banner. For a club, team or business, the $29 Logo Kit adds logo, icon, banner and brand files.

Design an eagle crest

Coat of arms of The Kowalski Family: a red shield and a silver eagle with spread wings, motto "Ever Onward" — The Kowalski Family

Coat of arms of The Schneider Family: a gold shield and a black eagle with spread wings, motto "Treu und Fest" — The Schneider Family

Coat of arms of House Aquila: a blue shield and a gold eagle with spread wings, motto "Ad Astra" — House Aquila

Coat of arms of The Martinez Family: a green shield and a gold eagle with spread wings, motto "Siempre Adelante" — The Martinez Family

Coat of arms of Highfield Eagles: a black shield and a gold eagle with spread wings, motto "Fly Higher" — Highfield Eagles

What an eagle means in heraldry

Nobility, strength and a lofty spirit. The eagle was the standard of the Roman legions, and states that saw themselves as Rome's heirs took it up, from the Holy Roman Empire to Russia and Napoleon's France. In family arms it stands for someone who aims high and sees far.

Eagle poses and their names

Displayed: facing you with wings and legs spread wide, head turned to one side. This is the classic heraldic eagle, and the one drawn in Crest Studio.
Rising: about to take flight, wings raised.
Close: standing with its wings folded.
Double-headed: one body with two heads looking both ways, used by the Byzantine and Holy Roman empires and today by Russia, Serbia and Albania.

A small eagle shown without beak or feet is an alerion, famous from the arms of Lorraine in France.

Famous eagle arms

Germany: a black eagle on gold, descended from the eagle of the Holy Roman Empire. Designing for a German family? See the German family crest guide.
Poland: a crowned white eagle on red, in use since the late 1200s.
Austria: a black eagle holding a sickle and a hammer.
The United States: the bald eagle displayed on the Great Seal, adopted in 1782.
Mexico: an eagle on a cactus devouring a snake, from the founding legend of Tenochtitlan.

These are national emblems, so give your eagle its own colors, name and motto.

Designing your eagle crest

Colors with history

Black on gold recalls German arms, silver on red recalls Polish ones, and gold on blue is a classic for any family. Families with roots in those countries often pick those colors as a nod to their heritage while keeping the design their own.

Plain field, bold eagle

An eagle displayed fills the shield, so a plain field shows it off best. Add your family name across the top and a motto on the scroll.

Mottos

Try Ad Astra (to the stars), Altius (higher), Treu und Fest (loyal and steadfast, in German) or Siempre Adelante (always forward, in Spanish). The Latin motto generator has more.

Design an eagle crest

Questions

What does an eagle mean on a coat of arms?

Nobility, strength and a lofty spirit. As the old standard of Rome, it also became the emblem of empires and of anyone who aims high.

What does "displayed" mean in heraldry?

An eagle displayed faces the viewer with its wings and legs spread wide, usually with its head turned to one side. It is the most common way to draw an eagle in arms.

Why do some eagles have two heads?

The double-headed eagle was used by the Byzantine Empire and later by the Holy Roman Empire, Russia, Serbia and Albania, often said to look both east and west.

Can I use an eagle on my family crest?

Yes. The eagle is a common charge open to anyone in an original design. Avoid copying a national coat of arms exactly, and make the colors, name and motto your own.