School House Crests

Setting up house crests

Name each house after a virtue

Latin virtue names sound like they have always been there: Fortis (brave), Sapientia (wisdom), Caritas (kindness and charity), Constantia (steadfastness). Local landmarks, rivers or notable people from your town work well too. Avoid copying houses from famous books and films, so the identity belongs to your school.

One color per house

Red, blue, green and purple are the usual four, each paired with gold or silver so the crest stays readable when printed in black and white.

A motto students can live up to

Pick from the Latin motto generator, where every motto comes with its translation.

Choose an emblem with a meaning

An owl for a house of wisdom, a lion for courage, a tree or an oak for growth. The owl coat of arms guide explains why the owl has stood for learning since ancient Athens and how schools such as Manchester Grammar School use it.

Turn it into a lesson

Before the reveal, have students design their own family crest on the free printable worksheet, then vote on the emblem for each house.

Design your first house crest

More free heraldry tools