Origin of the Bucklin family and the Joseph Bucklin Society logos.

The origins of the present logos are recent, although the probable "Bucklin" family coat of arms is ancient.

In the twentieth century some Bucklin family members in the United States adopted a family identifying device, a "logo", shown on the left.

The Bucklin Family logo is not intended to be, and is not, a heraldic device; it is not a "coat of arms"; it is only an identifying mark, or logo, used by some of the Bucklin family.  It is distinctive, and it is proper and honorable to use it as an identifying mark of a Bucklin family member in America.

There is no proven Bucklin coat of arms. Commercial purveyors of family crests may tell you they have one, but they try to pass off inaccurate or incomplete research. Many purveyors attempt to sell you the German Buchlin coat of arms, which we know is not the William Bucklin line. Others attempt to sell you one of the several best known English Buckland coats of arms. Those "Buckland" families are not likely to be the family of William Bucklin, from which the American Bucklins are descended. (See discussion further down this page regarding our research establishing the John "Buckliner" family, of Dorset, England, as the most likely ancestor family of William Bucklin.)

Both the official logo of the Joseph Bucklin Society, and also the family logo that some Bucklins have used as a family identifying device are copyrighted. They are part of the intellectual property we  protect, but every Bucklin in America has a license from us to use them for their own personal fair use --- provided it is not used for commercial use and is not displayed on a commercial internet website.

The most likely ancestors of William Bucklin are any of the several families named "Buckland" or its variations in the Dorset, England, area before 1700. See our data base of family genealogical information.   See especially our data  entries regarding the family of Gentleman John Buckler, aka John Buckland, aka John Buckliner, born 1543, and his family's right to a coat of arms. Note that the Buckliner / Buckler family lived at "Causeway", in Dorset, and that we have identified the "Causeway House" in Wey, Dorset, as a more than possible place  from whence William Bucklin emigrated to New England.

The family arms of the family ancestors of Gentleman John Buckler  were established by the royal Heralds in the 17th century as: "Arms: Sable, on a fesse between three dragons' heads erased or, as many estoiles of the field." (Probable meaning then: Black shield with three gold dragons' heads, ragged at the neck, on the top portion, separated by a gold portion across the middle part of the shield, and three gold stars with wavy arms on the bottom part of the shield.)

Strange as it may seem to persons used to 21st century American pronunciation, in the 1600's in southern England, before writing stabilized both spelling and pronunciation, "Buckland" could be pronounced in Dorset, England, something like "Buckler" or "Buckliner".  Or vice versa, that is, William Buckliner might have pronounced his name such that others would write it down as "Buckland". 

The Joseph Bucklin who was the son of William Bucklin could write, and he used the name of "Bucklin", even though the records of Rehoboth referred to his father as "Buckland".  By the time of the grandchildren of William Bucklin the name was firmly established and written as "Bucklin."

Because there as been no proven link between the Bucklins in America and the English family entitled to use a coat of arms, it is not appropriate to use the English coat of arms.

The on-line Bucklin Society Store has the items with appropriate "Bucklin" logos for you to use.

Symbolisms of heraldry involved with the Society's logo are described below.   The Society's logo can be described in heraldic terms as: a shield triparted; in chief, a field argent, a fire gules; in fesse, a field azure, a lion passant, guazant, or; and a field gules.

• " A shield triparted;"
         Triparted - Parted into three pieces; having three parts or pieces.

• "In chief, a field argent, a fire gules;"  
          Chief - the upper one third of a shield.
          Argent  (white or silver) - Color of sincerity.  
          Fire - Zeal.  (Gules is red.)

• "in fesse, a field azure, a lion passant, guazant, or; ". 
              Fesse - (fes) A strip or band placed horizontally across the shield, occupying one-third of the field, in this case, one-third of the shield 
            Azure (blue) - Color of truth and loyalty.  
            Lion - Deathless courage. The lion in this particular position ("passant, guazant" means seen from the side with paw raised and gazing at you) is frequently referred to as the "English Lion" and is associated with an English ancestry and alert defense.
            Or (gold) - Color of generosity and elevation of the mind.

• " and a field gules." 
          Gules (red) - Color of military fortitude, warrior or martyr; military strength and magnanimity

Our appropriate and richly symbolic logos are used
in the clothing and gift items
sold in our Bucklin Society on-line store.