The symbols on a coat of arms represent a family’s history and characteristics. Some of the symbols stand for where a family came from. Some symbols represent a families place in society, and other symbols represent things like courage.A coat of arms is a symbol or collection of symbols, usually represented on a shield, that indicates the traits of a particular family. It is part of a practice called heraldry, which includes researching and describing traits of coats of arms, and recording them for future reference. Contrary to popular belief, a coat of arms is not awarded to an entire family, but rather to a particular individual within the family who has been deemed worthy of the honor of displaying it.