A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Bente family of Denmark.
Reg. 4933 · Danish, A–C
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
saltireResolution, and St Andrew's cross
Colours
Red (Gules)Means: Military strength
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)
“Ec. en saut. de gu. et de sa.”
Denmarkc. 1722
Where the Bente Arms Were Recorded
Sjaælland
Map of Denmark showing where the Bente arms are recorded
The Bente arms were recorded in Denmark, c. 1722.
Arms such as these were typically recorded in Sjaælland.
Zealand held the Danish court, the crown's offices and Copenhagen itself. Families who served the king kept estates within reach of it, and royal service was the ordinary route to a coat of 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 Denmark in this period.
Frederik IV of Denmark
Sovereign of the period
Frederik IV of Denmark
1699–1730
Reigning in Denmark when the Bente arms are first recorded.
How Arms Worked in Denmark
Danish heraldry during this period was closely tied to noble status and royal favor rather than being open to all citizens. Arms were typically granted by the monarch to individuals, and these symbols were then shared by all members of the noble house. If a family line died out, the right to use those specific arms ended with them.
Granting authority
The Danish royal chancery held the power to issue and regulate official coats of arms for the kingdom.
How they got arms
Families usually received their arms through a formal royal grant that confirmed their noble status and rights.
Where arms were recorded
These grants were officially recorded in the Danish Royal Chancery records starting in the sixteenth century.
The family's standing
Recorded among the armigerous families of Denmark.
Origin & History of the Bente Family in Denmark
The family name Bente traces its early roots to the island of Sjælland in Denmark, where records confirm the presence of family members as early as 1722. During this period in Danish history, surnames were often fluid and frequently derived from a father’s first name or a specific geographic location. The name Bente itself is traditionally a shortened form of the name Benedikte, which carries the Latin meaning of blessed. Families living in rural Sjælland at this time were typically agrarian, and their lives were closely tied to the seasonal rhythms of the local manors and parish churches. By documenting their presence in the early eighteenth century, these ancestors established a foundation that reflects the broader social shifts of the Danish peasantry during the transition into the modern era.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Benedictus
Latin term meaning blessed or well spoken of.
This name
BenteA Danish feminine name derived from the Latin word for blessed.
also spelled
Bentee
Bentes
Bent
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Danish National Archives (Rigsarkivet), Sjællands Stifts øvrighedsarkiver
Danish National Archives (Rigsarkivet), Kirkebøger for Sjællands Stift
Jørgensen, Bent, Dansk Stednavneleksikon, 1981
Kruken, Kristoffer and Stemshaug, Ola, Norsk Personnamnleksikon, 1995
Digital archive packCoat of arms PNG, gold border print PDF, vector SVG and the certificate of authenticity. Sent to your email in minutes.
saltireResolution, and St Andrew's cross
saltireResolution, and St Andrew's cross
