I’ve always heard (reinforced by many discussions here) that arms belonged to an individual and thus the concept of a “family coat of arms” was essentially little more than a marketing ploy from businesses wanting to sell you plaques, t-shirts and coffee mugs with “your” coat of arms emblazoned on them.

The idea of “sept arms” in Irish heraldry would suggest that that the English and Scottish heraldry practices are not absolute. My understanding is that the members of a sept (although not simply anyone sharing a common surname) have the right to the arms of that sept. Similar practices are apparently the norm in some eastern European countries.

Can any of our heraldry experts expound on this a bit? I’ve looked around the internet a bit but haven’t been finding much more than offers to sell me the aforementioned t-shirts and coffee mugs.