A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Aeby family of Switzerland.
Reg. 2105 · Swiss, A–C
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
trefoilPerpetuity, and the Trinity
cross symbolChristian faith and service
Colours
Gold (Or)Means: Generosity
Green (Vert)Means: Hope
Historical info
Source
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)
“D'or à un treillis carré de quatre bâtons alésés d'arg., et en coeur un trèfle de sin. C.: un homme iss., hab d'un parti d'or et de gu., rebr. de l'un à l'autre, coiffé d'un bonnet albanais de sa., retr. du même, tenant de chaque main un trèfle de sin. L. d'or et de gu.”
Switzerlandc. 1745
Where the Aeby Arms Were Recorded
Bern
Map of Switzerland showing where the Aeby arms are recorded
The Aeby arms were recorded in Switzerland, c. 1745.
Arms such as these were typically recorded in Bern.
Bern was the largest of the Swiss cantons and ran itself, with its own council and its own courts. Its governing families held office for generations, and office of that kind carried a shield with it.
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 Switzerland in this period.
How Arms Worked in Switzerland
In Switzerland, coats of arms were not restricted to the nobility and were often adopted by common citizens and families. These symbols were passed down through generations to show family identity. When branches of a family grew, they often changed small details of the design to distinguish their own line from the original group.
Granting authority
Cantonal and civic authorities managed the use of coats of arms within their specific regions and local jurisdictions.
How they got arms
Families typically assumed their own coats of arms based on local custom rather than receiving them from a central monarch.
Where arms were recorded
Arms were recorded in various cantonal and civic registers starting from the fourteenth century throughout the Swiss region.
The family's standing
Recorded among the armigerous families of Switzerland.
Origin & History of the Aeby Family in Switzerland
The Aeby family name is deeply rooted in the history of the Swiss cantons, particularly within the regions of Bern and Fribourg. While records confirm the presence of the family in Bern by 1745, the name itself likely originated as a shortened form of names like Adalbert or Albrecht, which were common in the Middle Ages. Families with this surname were often associated with rural life and agriculture, as many early members worked as farmers or craftsmen in the alpine valleys. Over the centuries, the Aeby name spread through the Swiss plateau as families moved between villages to find better land or trade opportunities. Because the name was tied to specific local communities, it became a stable identifier for generations of families who contributed to the social and economic development of the Swiss region long before the eighteenth century.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Adalbert
Derived from Germanic elements meaning noble and bright or famous.
This name
AebyA diminutive form originating from the Fribourg region, signifying a descendant of Adalbert.
also spelled
Aeby
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Müller, Charles, Dictionnaire historique et biographique de la Suisse, 1920
Vonmoos, Rudolf, Die Familiennamen der Schweiz, 1989
Staatsarchiv des Kantons Bern, Kirchenbücher der Stadt Bern
Archives de l'État de Fribourg, Registres paroissiaux et documents d'état civil
Digital archive packCoat of arms PNG, gold border print PDF, vector SVG and the certificate of authenticity. Sent to your email in minutes.
trefoilPerpetuity, and the Trinity
cross symbolChristian faith and service
trefoilPerpetuity, and the Trinity
cross symbolChristian faith and service
