A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Belville family of England.
Sir Bernard Burke, The General Armory of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, London: Harrison & Sons, 1884
Blazon (the actual original written record)“Gyronny of twelve vair and gu”
The Belville arms were recorded in England, c. 1620.
Arms such as these were typically recorded in York.
Yorkshire is the largest of the English counties, and it held more gentry families than any other. Land there was split among a great many households rather than a few, so a great many of them carried 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 England in this period.
Reigning in England when the Belville 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 family name Belville originates from the French words meaning beautiful town, suggesting that the earliest ancestors likely lived in or near a picturesque settlement. By the year 1620, records confirm that members of the Belville family were established in the historic city of York. During this period, York was a bustling center of trade and religion, and families living there were often involved in the city’s vibrant craft guilds or local commerce. As the name moved from its continental roots into northern England, it became part of the diverse social fabric of the region. These early settlers helped shape the local community through their daily work and participation in the civic life of the city. Their presence in York during the early seventeenth century marks a significant chapter in the family history, showing how they integrated into the English landscape while maintaining a name that reflected their ancestral connection to a beautiful place.
Derived from the Old French words for beautiful and town or estate.
