A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Altuna family of Spain.
lionCourage, strength and royaltyJ. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)“D'arg. à trois lions de gu.”
The Altuna arms were recorded in Guipuzcoa, c. 1722.
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.
Reigning in Spain when the Altuna arms are first recorded.
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.
The surname Altuna originates from the Basque Country in northern Spain, specifically within the province of Gipuzkoa. The name is derived from the Basque words "altu," meaning high, and "ona," meaning good or pasture, which suggests that the earliest families likely lived on elevated land or high-quality grazing grounds. By the early eighteenth century, historical records confirm that members of the Altuna family were well-established residents of this region. During this era, families in Gipuzkoa were often deeply connected to their ancestral farmsteads, known as "baserriak," which served as the center of both family life and agricultural production. These early Altuna ancestors were part of a resilient rural society that maintained unique cultural traditions and the Basque language throughout centuries of regional change.
Basque components meaning high or deep and pasture or valley
