A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Abels family of Netherlands.
Reg. 7699 · Dutch, A–C
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
fleur de lisPurity, light, and the sixth son
lionCourage, strength and royalty
Colours
Red (Gules)Means: Military strength
Gold (Or)Means: Generosity
Historical info
Source
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)
“Ec.: aux 1 et 4 de gu. à la fleur-de-lis d'or; aux 2 et 3 de gu. au lion d'or.”
Netherlandsc. 1815
Where the Abels Arms Were Recorded
Friesland
Map of Netherlands showing where the Abels arms are recorded
The Abels arms were recorded in Netherlands, c. 1815.
Arms such as these were typically recorded in Friesland.
Friesland was low, wet country on the northern coast of the Netherlands, farmed by families who had held the same land for centuries. Free landholders were unusually common there, and a free landholder could carry arms.
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.
Region
Friesland
First recorded
1815
Granting Authority for the Abels Arms
Hoge Raad van Adel
Photograph made by me · CC BY-SA 3.0
The body that granted and recorded arms in Netherlands in this period.
William I of the Netherlands
Sovereign of the period
William I of the Netherlands
1815–1840
Reigning in Netherlands when the Abels arms are first recorded.
How Arms Worked in Netherlands
In the Netherlands, coats of arms were often used by noble families and those who held specific public offices. These arms were passed down through the generations to legitimate descendants. Younger branches of a family usually kept the original design without needing to add special marks. This system ensured that the family identity remained clear and consistent over many years.
Granting authority
The Hoge Raad van Adel is the official body that regulates and manages noble titles and coats of arms in the Netherlands.
How they got arms
Families typically obtained their coats of arms through official royal grants or by proving their long-standing historical use of the symbols.
Where arms were recorded
Coats of arms are officially recorded in the registers held by the Hoge Raad van Adel, which began its work in 1814.
The family's standing
Recorded among the armigerous families of Netherlands.
Origin & History of the Abels Family in Netherlands
The surname Abels is a patronymic name, which means it was originally created by adding a suffix to the first name of a father to identify his children. In this case, the name indicates that an early ancestor was named Abel, making the family name a way of saying "son of Abel." By the early 19th century, the family was well-established in the province of Friesland in the northern Netherlands. During this period, the Napoleonic administration required citizens to adopt permanent, hereditary surnames for official civil registration. Because the family had likely used the name Abels informally for generations to distinguish themselves from other local families, it became their permanent legal surname in the official records of 1815. This transition helped formalize the family identity during a time of great social and political change in the Dutch provinces.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Adal
A Germanic root meaning noble or nobility.
This name
AbelsA patronymic surname derived from the personal name Abel, meaning breath or vapor.
also spelled
Abelz
Related arms
Abeelsvariant spelling
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Tresoar (Fries Historisch en Letterkundig Centrum), Burgerlijke Stand van Friesland (1811-1950)
Meertens Instituut, Nederlandse Familienamenbank
Van der Schaar, J., Woordenboek van voornamen, 1964
Digital archive packCoat of arms PNG, gold border print PDF, vector SVG and the certificate of authenticity. Sent to your email in minutes.
fleur de lisPurity, light, and the sixth son
lionCourage, strength and royalty
fleur de lisPurity, light, and the sixth son
lionCourage, strength and royalty
