A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Burnand family of Switzerland.
Reg. 7275 · Swiss, A–C
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
mountThe ground held, and steadfastness upon it
Colours
Gold (Or)Means: Generosity
Red (Gules)Means: Military strength
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)
“Parti d'or et de gu.; à un senestrochère, arm. d'arg., mouv. du flanc, br. sur le parti, tenant une épée d'arg., garnie d'or, sur le gu.; en p. un tertre de trois coupeaux de sin., br. sur le parti, chacun des deux coupeaux ext. sommé d'une rose d'arg., tigée de sin., brochantes à dextre sur l'or et à sen. sur le gu. C.: le bras, mouv. du brl., brandissant l'épée.”
Switzerlandc. 1745
Where the Burnand Arms Were Recorded
Bern
Map of Switzerland showing where the Burnand arms are recorded
The Burnand 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 Burnand Family in Switzerland
The surname Burnand is deeply rooted in the history of the Swiss canton of Bern, where records confirm the family was well-established by the mid-eighteenth century. The name likely originated as a topographical or locational identifier, potentially linked to the geography of the Alpine regions where families often took names derived from local landmarks or specific land clearings. During this period, the Burnand family became integrated into the social and economic fabric of the region, participating in the local governance and agricultural life that defined Swiss society in the 1700s. As the family grew, they maintained a presence in the area through generations of record-keeping in parish registers and municipal archives. This steady documentation reflects a lineage that was deeply connected to the development of the Bernese landscape and the administrative traditions of the Swiss Confederation.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Bruno
Derived from the Germanic word for brown or armor.
This name
BurnandA locative or patronymic surname referring to a descendant of someone with brown hair or complexion.
also spelled
Burnant
Burnan
Bournand
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Staatsarchiv des Kantons Bern, Kirchenbücher (Parish Registers)
Burgerbibliothek Bern, Familiennamenbuch der Schweiz
Familiennamenbuch der Schweiz, Familiennamenbuch der Schweiz, 1989
Digital archive packCoat of arms PNG, gold border print PDF, vector SVG and the certificate of authenticity. Sent to your email in minutes.
mountThe ground held, and steadfastness upon it
mountThe ground held, and steadfastness upon it
