Yes, but there are lots of rules and conventions that apply. Just as second or later sons must modify the coat of arms that they would otherwise inherit from their father.
The usual European convention is that unmarried women use their father's coat of arms, but in an oval or lozenge (diamond) shape. Also, women customarily would leave off any expressly military symbols, such as the crest or images of arms.
There is a strong modern movement to not restrict women to the lozenge shape, and to keep military symbols if they so wish. Historical evidence from the late middle ages in France and Britain indicates that women in the past often used shield shapes, while some men used lozenge shapes, as part of their coats of arms.
After marriage a woman would sometimes continue using her father's coat of arms, but more likely she would merge her coat of arms with that of her husband, or entirely adopt her husband's coat of arms. The practice of dividing shields into quarters and thirds often originated in the need to incorporate some of a wife's coat of arms imagery. This might be a good strategy move, if you were a man with enemies needing to rely on the military support of your wife's family.
Traditionally, widows are expected to revert to a lozenge shaped coat of arms, but still using the same symbols used in marriage (merged families or husband's coat of arms).
The usual European convention is that unmarried women use their father's coat of arms, but in an oval or lozenge (diamond) shape. Also, women customarily would leave off any expressly military symbols, such as the crest or images of arms.
There is a strong modern movement to not restrict women to the lozenge shape, and to keep military symbols if they so wish. Historical evidence from the late middle ages in France and Britain indicates that women in the past often used shield shapes, while some men used lozenge shapes, as part of their coats of arms.
After marriage a woman would sometimes continue using her father's coat of arms, but more likely she would merge her coat of arms with that of her husband, or entirely adopt her husband's coat of arms. The practice of dividing shields into quarters and thirds often originated in the need to incorporate some of a wife's coat of arms imagery. This might be a good strategy move, if you were a man with enemies needing to rely on the military support of your wife's family.
Traditionally, widows are expected to revert to a lozenge shaped coat of arms, but still using the same symbols used in marriage (merged families or husband's coat of arms).
