Nicodemus Coat of Arms

Here is a picture of the coat of arms owned by a Nicodemus family member a long time ago. Nothing is known as to who the man was or what he intended by the particular emblems he chose, but from heraldry rules I can tell you the following:

A coat of arms (COA) is owned by an individual, not by a family or clan. Any one particular COA is not meant to be passed down to descendents as is. Each family member was expected to add to it or take away from it as desired in order to personalize it. Or a family member could create their own from scratch.

But I post it here as a bit of Nicodemus family history.

As to the emblems, here are their general meanings:
The oak tree is a symbol of strength.
The symbol on the oak tree is a runic symbol for man.
The gold bar with the three "legs" is called a label and is a symbol for the firstborn. This is used only while both parents are still living.
The laurel wreath is a symbol of victory.
The lily (set on the blue escutcheon, or shield, in the center) is a symbol for purity.

BTW: I create coats of arms as a hobby. If anyone is interested in having me help them make one, I'd be happy to. I don't charge any money for this.

The Meaning of the Name

The name Nicodemus has Greek origins and means the following:

nico = leader, victor
demus = people

Therefore: leader of the people, or victorious leader. I may put more info on this in a future post.

There is also an interesting Hebrew connection that can be made. The transliteration of the Hebrew words is as follows:

na-ke = innocent
dam = blood

These two words are found together in several Scripture verses, including:

Deuteronomy 19:10
"That innocent blood be not shed in thy land, which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance."

Proverbs 6:16-17
"These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood...."

Personally, I like for the words to remind me of the innocent blood that was shed for me at Calvary.