A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Capo family of Italy.
Reg. 2892 · Italian, A–C
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
horseReadiness to serve king and country
Colours
Red (Gules)Means: Military strength
Silver (Argent)Means: Peace and sincerity
Historical info
Source
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)
“De gu. à une tête et col d'âne d'arg., crinée d'or.”
Italyc. 1775
Where the Capo Arms Were Recorded
Venice
Map of Italy showing where the Capo arms are recorded
The Capo 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 Capo 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 Capo Family in Italy
The surname Capo originates from the Italian word for head or chief, which often served as a descriptive nickname for a leader or a person of high standing within a community. By the late eighteenth century, records confirm that members of the Capo family were well-established residents of Venice. During this period, Venice was a bustling center of trade and culture, and families living there were frequently involved in the city's complex maritime and merchant networks. Because the name implies a position of authority, it is likely that early ancestors held roles as guild masters, local administrators, or captains of industry. These individuals contributed to the social fabric of the Venetian Republic as it transitioned through the final years of its independence before the turn of the nineteenth century.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Caput
Latin word meaning head, top, or chief.
This name
CapoRefers to a person who held a position of leadership or lived at the top of a hill.
also spelled
Cap
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Archivio di Stato di Venezia, Anagrafe di Venezia, Sezione di San Marco, 1775
De Felice, Emidio, Dizionario dei cognomi italiani, 1978
Fucilla, Joseph G., Our Italian Surnames, 1949
Digital archive packCoat of arms PNG, gold border print PDF, vector SVG and the certificate of authenticity. Sent to your email in minutes.
horseReadiness to serve king and country
horseReadiness to serve king and country
