A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Boke family of Denmark.
Reg. 1570 · Danish, A–C
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
lionCourage, strength and royalty
Colours
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)
“D'arg. au lion d'or. C.: un bouc iss. d'arg.”
Denmarkc. 1722
Where the Boke Arms Were Recorded
Sjaælland
Map of Denmark showing where the Boke arms are recorded
The Boke arms were recorded in Denmark, c. 1722.
Arms such as these were typically recorded in Sjaælland.
Zealand held the Danish court, the crown's offices and Copenhagen itself. Families who served the king kept estates within reach of it, and royal service was the ordinary route to a coat of 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.
The body that granted and recorded arms in Denmark in this period.
Frederik IV of Denmark
Sovereign of the period
Frederik IV of Denmark
1699–1730
Reigning in Denmark when the Boke arms are first recorded.
How Arms Worked in Denmark
Danish heraldry during this period was closely tied to noble status and royal favor rather than being open to all citizens. Arms were typically granted by the monarch to individuals, and these symbols were then shared by all members of the noble house. If a family line died out, the right to use those specific arms ended with them.
Granting authority
The Danish royal chancery held the power to issue and regulate official coats of arms for the kingdom.
How they got arms
Families usually received their arms through a formal royal grant that confirmed their noble status and rights.
Where arms were recorded
These grants were officially recorded in the Danish Royal Chancery records starting in the sixteenth century.
The family's standing
Recorded among the armigerous families of Denmark.
Origin & History of the Boke Family in Denmark
The family name Boke has deep roots in the island of Sjælland, where records confirm members of the family were living as early as 1722. During the eighteenth century, families in this region often lived in rural farming communities where their lives revolved around the agricultural cycles of the Danish countryside. The name itself likely evolved from local dialects or descriptive terms used to identify individuals based on their occupation or the specific landscape where they resided. As the family grew, they became part of the social fabric of the local parishes, leaving behind traces in church registers that documented births, marriages, and deaths. These early generations helped establish the family presence in the region long before the modernization of Denmark, providing a foundation for the generations that followed.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Bok
A Germanic term referring to the beech tree.
This name
BokeA topographic name for someone who lived near a beech tree or forest.
also spelled
Boeke
Bocke
Boak
Booke
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Rigsarkivet (Danish National Archives), Kirkebøger (Parish Registers), Sjælland Stift
lionCourage, strength and royalty
lionCourage, strength and royalty
