The best replacement for crests is shields.

The best alternatives to crests are rated as following:
★★★★★  shields
★★★★  coat of arms
★★★  troughs
★★  coats of arms
★  flows
  coats arms

Your alternative for crests is not listed? Suggest!
Speaking about crests, one probably shouldn't forget about birds.

Other search terms related to crests and their ratings are:
★★★★★ birds
★★★ tommy mara
★★ johnny maestro
You have in mind a companion for crests and it is not yet here? Propose!



Google Trends

Scale is based on the average worldwide traffic of crests in all years. Click on graph for more.
crests
shields
coat of arms