A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Bellinghausen family lines. Documented in 2 countries.
Reg. 1532 · French, A–C
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
ringFidelity, and a promise kept
Colours
Blue (Azure)Means: Loyalty and truth
Gold (Or)Means: Generosity
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 deux fers cramponnés d'or, en bande, réunis au moyen de deux anneaux du même. C.: un vol à l'antique, aux armes de l'écu [V. Münch de Bellinghamhausen.]”
Francec. 1663
Where the Bellinghausen Arms Were Recorded
Bretagne
Map of France showing where the Bellinghausen arms are recorded
The Bellinghausen arms were recorded in France, c. 1663.
Arms such as these were typically recorded in Bretagne.
More families held coats of arms in Bretagne than anywhere else in France. The land was divided into many small estates rather than a few large ones, so far more households counted as gentry, and each needed a shield of its own to be told apart.
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.
Louis XIV of France
Sovereign of the period
Louis XIV of France
1643–1715
Reigning in France when the Bellinghausen arms are first recorded.
How Arms Worked in France
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.
Granting authority
The Juge d'armes de France acted as the official authority that regulated and verified coats of arms across the country.
How they got arms
Families typically inherited their arms from ancestors, though they could also receive them through royal grants or by proving their noble status.
Where arms were recorded
Coats of arms were officially recorded in the Armorial Général de France, which began its main collection in the year 1696.
The family's standing
Recorded among the armigerous families of France.
Origin & History of the Bellinghausen Family in France
The Bellinghausen family name holds a distinct place in the history of the Brittany region of France, where records confirm their presence as early as 1663. While the name itself carries Germanic linguistic roots, its establishment in the western coastal provinces suggests a history marked by migration and integration into local French society during the seventeenth century. During this period, families often settled in specific parishes to work in trade or agriculture, becoming part of the local social fabric through marriage and community involvement. The transition of the name into French administrative records reflects the way families adapted their identities while maintaining their heritage in a new cultural landscape. By the mid-1600s, members of the family were already integrated into the regional life of Brittany, leaving behind traces in official registers that document their births, marriages, and daily contributions to their local towns.
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
mulletThe third son, and a divine quality from above
Colours
Silver (Argent)Means: Peace and sincerity
Black (Sable)Means: Constancy
Historical info
Source
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)
“Coupé-voûté: au 1 d'arg. à une étoile (8) penchée de sa.; au 2 de sa. à une étoile (6) penchée d'arg. C.: un vol de sa., chaque aile ch. d'une étoile (6) d'arg.”
GermanyLubeck, c. 1765
Where the Bellinghausen Arms Were Recorded
Lubeck
Map of Germany showing where the Bellinghausen arms are recorded
The Bellinghausen arms were recorded in Lubeck, c. 1765.
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 Germany in this period.
Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor
Sovereign of the period
Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor
1745–1765
Reigning in France when the Bellinghausen arms are first recorded.
How Arms Worked in Germany
In the Holy Roman Empire, coats of arms were often granted to individuals by the Emperor or his representatives. These arms were then passed down through the generations to all legitimate descendants of the original holder. Younger branches of a family usually kept the same shield design without needing to change it, as the arms belonged to the entire lineage.
Granting authority
The Holy Roman Emperor held the sole power to grant new coats of arms throughout his vast imperial territories.
How they got arms
Families typically obtained their coats of arms through a formal imperial grant or by proving their noble status to the authorities.
Where arms were recorded
These grants were officially recorded in the Imperial Chancery registers, which began keeping formal records of such honors during the Middle Ages.
The family's standing
Recorded among the armigerous families of Germany.
Origin & History of the Bellinghausen Family in Germany
The family name Bellinghausen originates from the German region of Westphalia, where it likely functioned as a topographic name indicating that the original bearers lived near a settlement or estate known as Bellinghausen. By the middle of the eighteenth century, members of the family had migrated north to the influential Hanseatic city of Lübeck. Records confirm their presence in this bustling maritime hub by 1765, a time when Lübeck served as a critical center for trade and cultural exchange across the Baltic Sea. As the family established themselves in this urban environment, they integrated into the professional and social fabric of a city defined by its merchant guilds and legal independence. This transition from a rural Westphalian origin to the cosmopolitan setting of Lübeck highlights the mobility of families during the Enlightenment era as they sought new opportunities in Germany’s growing commercial centers.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Bellinghausen
Derived from the Germanic elements for bell or dwelling and enclosure.
This name
BellinghausenRefers to a settlement or farmstead belonging to a person named Belling.
also spelled
Belinghausen
Belinghowzen
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Archives Départementales du Finistère, Registres paroissiaux et d'état civil, 1663
Archives Départementales d'Ille-et-Vilaine, Série B: Cours et juridictions, 1663
Morvan, Françoise, Le monde de la Bretagne, 2005
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ringFidelity, and a promise kept
ringFidelity, and a promise kept
mulletThe third son, and a divine quality from above
