The bordure of the shield has waves representing the waterways, rivers and canals around the borough; heraldic waves like this were also prominent in the coat of arms of the former Metropolitan Borough of Hackney, where they made upp the lower half of the shield.

They in turn represent the church bells of St. Leonard's Church, Shoreditch (these Shoreditch bells are known from the nursery rhyme "Oranges and Lemons"), but their number of three stands for the three metropolitan boroughs which were merged to form the present London borough.

The crest is almost the same as for the former Metropolitan Borough of Hackney, the only difference is that it stands on a small hill in the current arms.

The tower was also present in a field on the shield in the coat of arms of the former Metropolitan Borough of Hackney.

Crest: On a Wreath Argent and Gules on a Mount Vert a representation of the Tower of the Ancient Parish Church of St. Augustine Hackney proper.