A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Abella family of Spain.
Reg. 2436 · Spanish, A–C
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
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Colours
Red (Gules)Means: Military strength
Silver (Argent)Means: Peace and sincerity
Historical info
Source
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)
“De gu. à trois fasces ondées d'arg.”
AragonAragon, c. 1722
Where the Abella Arms Were Recorded
Aragon
Map of Spain showing where the Abella arms are recorded
The Abella arms were recorded in Aragon, c. 1722.
Aragon was mountain and river country in north-eastern Spain, with a strong tradition of small independent landholders. A great many families counted as gentry there, and each one needed a shield to be told apart.
This is where the arms were entered in the register. Families often moved to other parts of the country, so the same name can turn up in more than one region.
The body that granted and recorded arms in Spain in this period.
Philip V of Spain
Sovereign of the period
Philip V of Spain
1714–1724
Reigning in Spain when the Abella arms are first recorded.
How Arms Worked in Spain
In Spain, a coat of arms was considered a form of property that belonged to the entire family line. These arms were passed down from a father to all his children equally. Younger branches of the family usually kept the original design without needing to add any special marks to distinguish their specific line.
Granting authority
The Cronista Rey de Armas was the official body that regulated and granted coats of arms throughout Spain.
How they got arms
Families often obtained their arms through royal grants or by proving their noble status to the official heraldic authority.
Where arms were recorded
Coats of arms were officially recorded in the registers of the Cronista Rey de Armas starting in 1496.
The family's standing
Recorded among the armigerous families of Aragon.
Origin & History of the Abella Family in Spain
The surname Abella traces its roots to the rugged landscapes of the Aragon region in northeastern Spain. By the early 18th century, the family was well-established within this area, where the name likely originated as a topographic descriptor or a reference to a specific ancestral village. In the medieval period, many families in Aragon adopted names based on the local geography or the specific crops they cultivated, and Abella is often linked to the Catalan and Aragonese word for a bee or a place where bees were kept. This suggests that the early members of the family may have been involved in agriculture or apiculture, which was a vital part of the rural economy in the foothills of the Pyrenees. By 1722, the family was integrated into the social fabric of the region, living as part of a society that was deeply influenced by the traditions and linguistic shifts of the Crown of Aragon.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Apis
Latin term referring to a bee or honeybee.
This name
AbellaDerived from a topographic name for someone who lived near a place where bees were kept.
also spelled
Abela
Related arms
Abelavariant spelling
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Alcover, Antoni Maria and Moll, Francesc de Borja, Diccionari català-valencià-balear, 1962
Moll, Francesc de Borja, Els llinatges catalans, 1959
Archivo de la Corona de Aragón, Censo de población de 1722
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fessThe military belt, and readiness to serve
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