Fairfax County, Va.

The central design of the seal was adopted from the coat of arms of the Lord Fairfax, for whom Fairfax County was named. The emblem is depicted in numerous reference books on British heraldry. The shield is a field of gold on a white background with three sets of two red bars surmounted by a black lion standing on its hind legs.

The crest over the cornet or crown is a black lion with three paws on the ground and the right front paw raised and facing out to the viewer. The cornet with four pearls, to which the Fairfaxes were entitled as barons, is gold with red fabric and a gold tassel.

The shield’s supporters are: on the left, a black lion on its hind paws looking out at the viewer, and on the right, a bay horse on its hind legs. Below the shield is the motto on a red ribbon, "Fare Fac" which translates as "speak and act (or to get it done);" the motto may be a grammatical Latin pun on the name Fairfax. In heraldry, bars represent those who set the bar of conscience, religion and honor; the lion represents dauntless courage and the horse represents a readiness for service. The colors also have meaning Ñ gold is generosity and elevation of the mind while red stands for strength and magnanimity.

The seal is bordered with a wide red circle outlined with a thin gold band set in a black circular frame with the words ‘County of Fairfax’ embedded in the top center of the red and ‘Virginia’ in the bottom center. The year the county was established - 1742 - appears below the shield in black.

Research done in 1983 by county historians seems to indicate that the county seal was designed by the first public affairs director (then division of information), Elliot G. Shaw, Jr. in 1963. It was in general use for many years before being officially approved in 1991 by the county executive.

The county seal is also the principal image on the county flag Ñ it is situated in the center of a light blue background bordered in gold.

(If you would like your county’s seal featured, please contact Allison Mall at amall@naco.org or 202/942-4256.)