A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Berenson family of Netherlands.
Reg. 6176 · Dutch, A–C
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
armA person of action, industrious and laborious
Colours
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'or à un senestrochère, arm. au nat., mouv. du flanc, la main de carn. tenant une épée d'arg., garnie d'or. C.: le senestrochère, en pal, mouv. du brl.; entre un vol d'or et d'azur. L. d'or et d'azur (Arm. v. G.)”
Netherlandsc. 1815
Where the Berenson Arms Were Recorded
Friesland
Map of Netherlands showing where the Berenson arms are recorded
The Berenson arms were recorded in Netherlands, c. 1815.
Arms such as these were typically recorded in Friesland.
Friesland was low, wet country on the northern coast of the Netherlands, farmed by families who had held the same land for centuries. Free landholders were unusually common there, and a free landholder could carry 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.
Region
Friesland
First recorded
1815
Granting Authority for the Berenson Arms
Hoge Raad van Adel
Photograph made by me · CC BY-SA 3.0
The body that granted and recorded arms in Netherlands in this period.
William I of the Netherlands
Sovereign of the period
William I of the Netherlands
1815–1840
Reigning in Netherlands when the Berenson arms are first recorded.
How Arms Worked in Netherlands
In the Netherlands, coats of arms were often used by noble families and those who held specific public offices. These arms were passed down through the generations to legitimate descendants. Younger branches of a family usually kept the original design without needing to add special marks. This system ensured that the family identity remained clear and consistent over many years.
Granting authority
The Hoge Raad van Adel is the official body that regulates and manages noble titles and coats of arms in the Netherlands.
How they got arms
Families typically obtained their coats of arms through official royal grants or by proving their long-standing historical use of the symbols.
Where arms were recorded
Coats of arms are officially recorded in the registers held by the Hoge Raad van Adel, which began its work in 1814.
The family's standing
Recorded among the armigerous families of Netherlands.
Origin & History of the Berenson Family in Netherlands
The surname Berenson is a patronymic name, which means it was originally formed by adding a suffix to the father’s first name to signify "son of Beren." The name Beren itself is a shortened form of names like Bernhard, which carries the Germanic meaning of a brave or strong bear. By 1815, records confirm that families bearing this name were established in the province of Friesland in the northern Netherlands. During this period, the Napoleonic administration required families to adopt permanent, hereditary surnames for official civil registration. Many families in the region chose names that reflected their ancestry or patronymic traditions to comply with these new legal requirements. This transition helped solidify the Berenson name as a fixed family identity that was passed down through generations in the Frisian community.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Bernhard
Derived from the Germanic elements for bear and brave or hardy.
This name
BerensonA patronymic surname meaning son of Beren, a shortened form of Bernhard.
also spelled
Berensonh
Berensone
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Meertens, P.J., De betekenis van de Nederlandse familienamen, 1970
Tresoar (Frisian Historical and Literary Center), Burgerlijke Stand van de provincie Friesland (Civil Registry of the Province of Friesland), 1811–1950
Van der Schaar, J., Woordenboek van voornamen, 1964
Digital archive packCoat of arms PNG, gold border print PDF, vector SVG and the certificate of authenticity. Sent to your email in minutes.
armA person of action, industrious and laborious
armA person of action, industrious and laborious
