A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Catalá family of Spain.
Reg. 4878 · Spanish, A–C
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
greyhoundCourage, vigilance and loyalty
Colours
Blue (Azure)Means: Loyalty and truth
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)
“D'azur à un lévrier sautant d'arg., coll. de sa., bordé et bouclé d'or.”
AragonAragon, c. 1722
Where the Catalá Arms Were Recorded
Aragon
Map of Spain showing where the Catalá arms are recorded
The Catalá arms were recorded in Aragon, c. 1722.
Aragon was mountain and river country in north-eastern Spain, with a strong tradition of small independent landholders. A great many families counted as gentry there, and each one needed a shield to be told apart.
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 Spain in this period.
Philip V of Spain
Sovereign of the period
Philip V of Spain
1714–1724
Reigning in Spain when the Catalá arms are first recorded.
How Arms Worked in Spain
In Spain, a coat of arms was considered a form of property that belonged to the entire family line. These arms were passed down from a father to all his children equally. Younger branches of the family usually kept the original design without needing to add any special marks to distinguish their specific line.
Granting authority
The Cronista Rey de Armas was the official body that regulated and granted coats of arms throughout Spain.
How they got arms
Families often obtained their arms through royal grants or by proving their noble status to the official heraldic authority.
Where arms were recorded
Coats of arms were officially recorded in the registers of the Cronista Rey de Armas starting in 1496.
The family's standing
Recorded among the armigerous families of Aragon.
Origin & History of the Catalá Family in Spain
The surname Catalá has deep roots in the eastern regions of the Iberian Peninsula, particularly within the historic Crown of Aragon. The name itself functions as an ethnic descriptor, originally used to identify individuals who migrated from Catalonia into neighboring territories like Valencia and Aragon. By the early 18th century, families bearing this name were well-established members of the local society in Aragon, often documented in parish registers and regional census records from 1722. These early family members were typically integrated into the agricultural or merchant classes that supported the regional economy. As the family spread throughout the Spanish interior, they maintained their identity as a distinct lineage connected to their ancestral ties in the Catalan-speaking lands. This movement of people across regional borders was a common feature of life in the 1700s as families sought new opportunities in the growing towns of the Aragonese countryside.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Catalanus
A person originating from the region of Catalonia.
This name
CataláA habitational surname denoting an individual who came from the Catalan region.
also spelled
Katala
Catalan
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Moll, Francesc de Borja. Els llinatges catalans. 1959
Pons i Marquès, Joan. Els cognoms de Catalunya. 1968
Archivo de la Corona de Aragón, Archivo de Protocolos de Zaragoza
Archivo Histórico Nacional, Sección Nobleza, Expedientes de pruebas de ingreso en órdenes militares
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greyhoundCourage, vigilance and loyalty
greyhoundCourage, vigilance and loyalty
