A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Ala family of Italy.
Reg. 8622 · Italian, A–C
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
wingSwiftness, and protection under a raised wing
Colours
Blue (Azure)Means: Loyalty and truth
Historical info
Source
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)
“D'azur à un demi-vol de couleur brunâtre.”
SicilySicily, c. 1775
Where the Ala Arms Were Recorded
Sicily
Map of Italy showing where the Ala arms are recorded
The Ala arms were recorded in Sicily, c. 1775.
Sicily was ruled in turn by Normans, Germans, French and Spanish, and each left landed families behind. The island kept formal lists of its noble houses, which is why so many Sicilian names carry recorded 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.
The body that granted and recorded arms in Italy in this period.
Alvise Giovanni Mocenigo
Sovereign of the period
Alvise Giovanni Mocenigo
1763–1778
Reigning in Italy when the Ala arms are first recorded.
How Arms Worked in Italy
In the Italian states, coats of arms were often used by noble families to show their status and history. These symbols were passed down through the generations to all legitimate male descendants. Younger branches of a family usually kept the original design but sometimes added small changes to distinguish their specific line from the main branch.
Granting authority
Various local rulers and city governments controlled the use of coats of arms across the different Italian states.
How they got arms
Families often assumed their own arms or received them as official grants from local lords, popes, or city councils.
Where arms were recorded
Arms were recorded in local city archives or private family books rather than in one single national register.
The family's standing
Recorded among the armigerous families of Sicily.
Origin & History of the Ala Family in Italy
The family name Ala has deep roots in the Mediterranean, with documented evidence placing the family in Sicily by the year 1775. During this period, Sicily was a vibrant crossroads of culture, and the name likely emerged from the local linguistic traditions of the island. In Italian, the word "ala" translates to "wing," which may have originally served as a descriptive nickname for an ancestor who was known for being swift or perhaps lived near a specific landmark. As the family established themselves in the region, they became part of the social fabric of Sicilian life, likely participating in the agricultural and trade activities that defined the island’s economy during the late eighteenth century. By tracing their presence back to this era, we can see that the Ala family was part of a long history of resilience and community growth in Southern Italy.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Ala
Latin term meaning wing or armpit
This name
AlaDerived from a topographic nickname for someone living near a wing-shaped land formation.
also spelled
Alas
Alae
Alla
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Archivio di Stato di Palermo, Stato Civile della Restaurazione
Di Giovanni, Vincenzo, Topografia antica di Palermo, 1889
Pitré, Giuseppe, Usi e costumi, credenze e pregiudizi del popolo siciliano, 1889
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wingSwiftness, and protection under a raised wing
wingSwiftness, and protection under a raised wing
