A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Bertens family of Netherlands.
Reg. 4367 · Dutch, A–C
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
cross symbolChristian faith and service
crescentHonour by the sovereign, and the second son
mulletThe third son, and a divine quality from above
fleur de lisPurity, light, and the sixth son
Colours
Red (Gules)Means: Military strength
Blue (Azure)Means: Loyalty and truth
Silver (Argent)Means: Peace and sincerity
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)
“Parti: au 1 de gu. à deux croiss. adossés d'arg., acc. de deux étoiles d'or, 1 en chef et 1 en p.; au 2 d'azur à trois fleurs-de-lis d'or, 2 et 1, surm. d'une croisette pattée d'arg.”
Netherlandsc. 1815
Where the Bertens Arms Were Recorded
Friesland
Map of Netherlands showing where the Bertens arms are recorded
The Bertens 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 Bertens 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 Bertens 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 Bertens Family in Netherlands
The family name Bertens traces its roots to the northern region of the Netherlands known as Friesland. By the year 1815, official records confirm that members of the family were firmly established in this area. The name itself is a patronymic, which means it was created by adding a suffix to a given name to indicate descent. In this case, Bertens likely originated as a shortened form of names like Egbert or Lambert, eventually becoming a fixed surname as families began to adopt permanent identifiers for tax and census purposes. During the early nineteenth century, the people bearing this name were typically integrated into the local agricultural or trade communities that defined Frisian life. As the family grew, they moved through the social shifts of the era, transitioning from traditional naming customs to the standardized registration systems that were being implemented across the Netherlands at that time.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Berht
Old Germanic element meaning bright, famous, or shining.
This name
BertensA patronymic surname derived from the given name Bert, meaning son of the bright or famous one.
also spelled
Bertenz
Bertenss
Bertensz
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Tresoar (Fries Historisch en Letterkundig Centrum), Burgerlijke Stand van Friesland, 1811–1950
Nederlandse Familienamenbank, Meertens Instituut, 2023
Van der Meer, G., Friese familienamen: een overzicht van hun ontstaan en verspreiding, 1998
Digital archive packCoat of arms PNG, gold border print PDF, vector SVG and the certificate of authenticity. Sent to your email in minutes.
cross symbolChristian faith and service
crescentHonour by the sovereign, and the second son
mulletThe third son, and a divine quality from above
fleur de lisPurity, light, and the sixth son
cross symbolChristian faith and service
crescentHonour by the sovereign, and the second son
mulletThe third son, and a divine quality from above
fleur de lisPurity, light, and the sixth son
