A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Boquist family of Switzerland.
eagleNobility, strength and a keen mindJ. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)“D'arg. à l'aigle de sa.”
The Boquist 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.
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.
The family name Boquist likely originates from a combination of Swedish linguistic roots, often associated with the words for "tree" or "dwelling" and "twig" or "branch." While the name carries a distinct Nordic character, historical records confirm that members of the family were established in the city of Bern, Switzerland, by 1745. During the eighteenth century, Bern served as a significant hub for trade and diplomacy, attracting skilled individuals from across Europe who sought new opportunities in the Swiss Confederation. The presence of the Boquist family in this region suggests they were likely part of a mobile class of merchants or craftsmen who moved across borders to ply their trades. By settling in such a prominent urban center, these early ancestors integrated into a society known for its strict record-keeping and organized civic life, which allowed their family history to be preserved in local municipal documents.
A combination of the words for dwelling or farm and twig.
