A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Agrippa family of Switzerland.
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)“De sa. à un écusson d'arg. en abîme.”
The Agrippa arms were recorded in Genevois, c. 1745.
Genevois was Alpine country south of Geneva, held in small estates by families who stayed put. Land there passed down the same line for centuries, and long tenure counted for more than wealth.
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.
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.
The family name Agrippa carries a deep historical resonance that stretches back to the classical era of the Roman Empire. While the name is famously associated with Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, a powerful general and architect during the reign of Augustus, its later presence in the Genevois region suggests a distinct migration pattern. By 1745, records confirm that members of the family had established themselves within this area of present-day Switzerland and France. During this period, the Genevois was a crossroads for trade and intellectual exchange, making it a likely destination for families moving across European borders. The name itself is thought to derive from the Latin term for a difficult birth, a common naming convention in ancient Rome that eventually evolved into a hereditary surname. As the family settled in the Genevois, they integrated into the local social and economic fabric, transitioning from their ancient roots into the documented history of the eighteenth century.
Latin phrase referring to a difficult or painful birth.
