A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Arwas family lines. Documented in 2 countries.
chiefAuthority, wisdom and dominionJ. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)“De gu., au chef d'herm.”
The Arwas arms were recorded in Artois, c. 1663.
Artois lay on the disputed ground between France and the Low Countries and was fought over for centuries. Families there held their land under arms, and a shield was how a fighting household was known.
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 France in this period.
Reigning in France when the Arwas arms are first recorded.
In France, a coat of arms was a mark of honor that passed down through the male line to all legitimate descendants. Families often used the same shield without changes to show their shared heritage. If a branch wanted to stand out, they could add a small mark to their shield to show their specific place in the family tree.
The history of the Arwas family in France is deeply tied to the northern region of Artois, where records confirm their presence as early as 1663. During the seventeenth century, Artois was a landscape defined by shifting borders and the transition of power between the Spanish Netherlands and the French Crown. Families living in this area often navigated a complex environment of agricultural labor, local trade, and the administrative changes brought on by the integration of the province into the Kingdom of France. The name itself likely evolved as a regional identifier, serving as a way to distinguish individuals based on their ancestral connection to the Artois territory. As the family established their roots in this strategic crossroads, they participated in the daily life of a region that served as a vital gateway between France and the rest of Europe. Their continued presence in local records reflects the persistence of families who helped shape the social and cultural identity of northern France during this transformative period.
cross symbolChristian faith and service
fleur de lisPurity, light, and the sixth sonSir Bernard Burke, The General Armory of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, London: Harrison & Sons, 1884
Blazon (the actual original written record)“Ar. on a cross sa. four fleurs-de-lis or”
The Arwas arms were recorded in Buckinghamshire, c. 1620.
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 England in this period.
Reigning in France when the Arwas arms are first recorded.
English heraldry allowed arms to be shared by all legitimate descendants of the original owner. These symbols were treated as personal property that moved through the generations to all children. While the eldest son kept the original design, other family members could use the same shield without needing to change it or register their own unique versions.
The Arwas family name first appears in the historical record of England within the county of Buckinghamshire during the early seventeenth century. By 1620, members of the family were established in this region, which was a time of significant social and economic transition in rural England. During this period, families often lived in small agricultural communities where their surnames were tied to local parish registers and land tax assessments. The name Arwas likely evolved from regional dialects or specific geographical markers that identified where the family resided or worked. As the family settled in Buckinghamshire, they became part of the local fabric of the English countryside, participating in the daily life and administrative duties that defined village existence before the onset of the English Civil War. Their presence in these early records suggests a stable life rooted in the land and the local parish system that served as the primary method for tracking families at the time.
Derived from the Latin word for a plowman or cultivator.
