A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Bo family of Italy.
Reg. 8479 · Italian, A–C
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
lionCourage, strength and royalty
Colours
Green (Vert)Means: Hope
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)
“De sin. au lion coupé d'or sur arg., tenant une fleur-de-lis d'or.”
Italyc. 1775
Where the Bo Arms Were Recorded
Venice
Map of Italy showing where the Bo arms are recorded
The Bo 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.
The body that granted and recorded arms in Italy in this period.
Alvise Giovanni Mocenigo
Sovereign of the period
Alvise Giovanni Mocenigo
1763–1778
Reigning in Italy when the Bo arms are first recorded.
How Arms Worked in Italy
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.
Granting authority
Various local rulers and city governments controlled the use of coats of arms across the different Italian states.
How they got arms
Families often assumed their own arms or received them as official grants from local lords, popes, or city councils.
Where arms were recorded
Arms were recorded in local city archives or private family books rather than in one single national register.
The family's standing
Recorded among the armigerous families of Italy.
Origin & History of the Bo Family in Italy
The family name Bo has deep roots in the vibrant culture of Northern Italy, with historical records confirming the presence of the family in Venice by 1775. During this era, Venice was a major center for trade and artistic development, which likely influenced the family's activities and social standing. The name itself is often linked to the Italian word for ox, which was a common way to describe someone with great strength or a person who worked in agriculture. As the family established themselves in the city, they became part of the complex social fabric of the Venetian Republic. Over time, members of the Bo family integrated into the local community, contributing to the unique history of a city defined by its canals and maritime influence. Their presence in Venice during the late eighteenth century suggests they were part of the steady urban life that defined the region before the major political shifts of the nineteenth century.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Bos
Latin term referring to an ox or a head of cattle.
This name
BoA topographic or occupational name for someone who kept oxen or lived near a pasture.
also spelled
Boe
Boo
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Archivio di Stato di Venezia, Anagrafe di Venezia, Sezione Sestiere di San Marco, 1775
Candidoni, Giovanni, Storia delle famiglie veneziane, 1812
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lionCourage, strength and royalty
lionCourage, strength and royalty
