Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)“De sin. au lion coupé d'or sur arg., tenant une fleur-de-lis d'or.”
A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Bio family of Italy.
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)“De sin. au lion coupé d'or sur arg., tenant une fleur-de-lis d'or.”

The Bio arms were recorded in Italy, c. 1775.
Arms such as these were typically recorded in Venice.
Venice ran on trade, and its great families were merchants before they were anything else. The city kept a formal list of its noble houses, and a name on that list carried arms as a matter of record.
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.
In the Italian states, coats of arms were often used by noble families to show their status and history. These symbols were passed down through the generations to all legitimate male descendants. Younger branches of a family usually kept the original design but sometimes added small changes to distinguish their specific line from the main branch.
The family name Bio has roots that trace back to the vibrant city of Venice during the late eighteenth century. By 1775, records indicate that members of the family were already established within the Venetian social landscape. During this era, Venice was a major center for trade and culture, and families living there often participated in the city's complex administrative and commercial networks. The name itself is thought to be a shortened form or a variation of longer Italian surnames common to the Veneto region, reflecting the way names evolved through local dialects and daily use. As the family navigated life in the Republic of Venice, they were part of a society defined by its unique maritime history and its position as a bridge between Western Europe and the Mediterranean world.
Latin term meaning alive or living.
