Searching for a family crest
How to find your family's coat of arms: where to search, how to verify a find and what to do if no coat of arms turns out to exist.
Anyone wishing to search for a family crest usually begins with the question: does a coat of arms of my family actually exist? For many Dutch families it does. Arms were borne not only by the nobility, but also by administrators, merchants and well-to-do burgher families. On this page you can read where to look up a family coat of arms, why verification matters and which path remains open if no coat of arms is found. In all honesty, a word in advance: we are not a genealogical archive ourselves. Our service begins where your search ends, with the designing and engraving of your coat of arms.
Looking up a family crest: where do you begin?
The most important family crest archive in the Netherlands is held by the CBG, Centre for Family History in The Hague, formerly the Central Bureau for Genealogy. The CBG manages an extensive heraldic collection and keeps a register of recorded family coats of arms. Beyond that, several other sources are well worth exploring:
- Heraldic databases: searchable online collections of Dutch and European coats of arms, often searchable by surname.
- Armorial books and armorials: historical volumes in which arms were recorded by family or by region, to be found in libraries and archives.
- Regional and family archives: notarial deeds, gravestones, old wax seals on letters and family heirlooms such as tableware, cutlery or an inherited signet ring frequently bear a coat of arms.
Important: the same surname is not automatically your coat of arms
If your search turns up a family coat of arms in the Netherlands under your surname, that is a promising start, but not yet proof. A coat of arms belongs to a family line, not to a name. Many surnames occur in several unrelated families, each with its own coat of arms or none at all. So verify through genealogical research that you truly descend from the family that bore the arms. Only then do you bear the arms rightfully and can you have them engraved and passed on with complete peace of mind.
The meaning and composition of a family crest
To interpret the meaning of a family crest, look at its fixed elements. The shield is the heart: it carries the colours and figures, known in heraldry as charges, which often refer to the family's profession, origins or name. Above it stands the helmet with the helmet crest, and around it flow the mantling, stylised drapery in the colours of the arms. Some coats of arms also bear a motto or supporters. You can read more about these elements on our page about the family crest.
No coat of arms found? Have one designed
If your search reveals that no coat of arms of your family exists, the story need not end there. Every family may assume a new coat of arms. Our heraldic artist designs your family crest according to the rules of heraldry: fitting your family history, correct in composition and suitable for registration and for handing down through the generations.
From a found coat of arms to a signet ring
Once the coat of arms has been found or designed, the finest part follows: its translation into a signet ring with family crest. Our engraver renders the arms by hand or by laser in precious metal or in an engraved gemstone. View the options and prices on the page signet ring engraving, or get in touch for personal advice in our atelier in Zeist.
Frequently asked questions about searching for a family crest
Where can I search for a family crest in the Netherlands?
The most important starting point is the CBG, Centre for Family History in The Hague, which holds a large heraldic collection and a register of coats of arms. You can also search old armorial books, regional archives and heraldic databases. Family heirlooms of your own, such as signet rings, wax seals, tableware or grave monuments, often provide clues as well.
May I simply use a family crest I have found?
A coat of arms under the same surname does not automatically mean it is your coat of arms. A family crest belongs to a specific family line, not to a name. Only when you can demonstrate genealogically that you descend from the arms-bearing family in the male or otherwise recorded line do you rightfully bear the arms.
What if no coat of arms exists for my family?
Then you can have a new family crest designed. Our heraldic artist designs a personal coat of arms according to the centuries-old rules of heraldry, based on your family history, profession or origins. You can then have that coat of arms registered and pass it on to future generations.
Can you look up my family crest for me?
We are a heraldic jeweller, not a genealogical archive. The archival research is something you do yourself or through a genealogist, for example at the CBG. Once you have found a coat of arms, or have one designed by us, we take care of the entire process from heraldic drawing to the engraving in your signet ring.
You are most welcome in Zeist, where we will gladly advise you on composing a beautiful signet ring. Plan your appointment here.