A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Bière family of Switzerland.
Reg. 3896 · Swiss, A–C
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
pine treeSteadfastness through every season
Colours
Silver (Argent)Means: Peace and sincerity
Gold (Or)Means: Generosity
Green (Vert)Means: Hope
Historical info
Source
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)
“D'arg. à un pin de sin., mouv. de la p.; à la bord. d'or.”
Switzerlandc. 1745
Where the Bière Arms Were Recorded
Bern
Map of Switzerland showing where the Bière arms are recorded
The Bière arms were recorded in Switzerland, c. 1745.
Arms such as these were typically recorded in Bern.
Bern was the largest of the Swiss cantons and ran itself, with its own council and its own courts. Its governing families held office for generations, and office of that kind carried a shield with it.
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 Switzerland in this period.
How Arms Worked in Switzerland
In Switzerland, coats of arms were not restricted to the nobility and were often adopted by common citizens and families. These symbols were passed down through generations to show family identity. When branches of a family grew, they often changed small details of the design to distinguish their own line from the original group.
Granting authority
Cantonal and civic authorities managed the use of coats of arms within their specific regions and local jurisdictions.
How they got arms
Families typically assumed their own coats of arms based on local custom rather than receiving them from a central monarch.
Where arms were recorded
Arms were recorded in various cantonal and civic registers starting from the fourteenth century throughout the Swiss region.
The family's standing
Recorded among the armigerous families of Switzerland.
Origin & History of the Bière Family in Switzerland
The family name Bière is deeply rooted in the historical landscape of the Swiss canton of Bern. By the year 1745, members of the family were already established residents within the region, living during a time when Bern was a powerful city-state governed by a strict patrician class. The name itself is likely derived from the French word for beer, suggesting that early ancestors may have been involved in the brewing trade or operated a tavern. In the eighteenth century, such occupations were vital to the local economy and social life of Swiss towns. As the family grew, they integrated into the local community, contributing to the agricultural and commercial activities that defined life in the Bernese countryside. Their presence in official records from this period reflects a stable history of craftsmanship and civic participation that helped shape their identity over many generations.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Biria
A Germanic term referring to a beer or ale brewer.
This name
BièreAn occupational surname for someone who produced or sold beer.
also spelled
Byere
Beeair
Beer
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Historisches Lexikon der Schweiz, Historisches Lexikon der Schweiz, 2002
Staatsarchiv des Kantons Bern, Kirchenbücher (Tauf-, Ehe- und Totenrodel), 1745
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pine treeSteadfastness through every season
pine treeSteadfastness through every season
