A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Cats family of Netherlands.
Reg. 2573 · Dutch, A–C
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
mountThe ground held, and steadfastness upon it
towerGrandeur and solidity, and a stronghold defended
swordJustice, and military honour
starThe celestial goddess, and nobility
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)
“Parti: au 1 d'azur à une tour d'arg., aj. de sa.; au 2 d'azur à une épée d'arg., en pal, acc. de trois étoiles mal-ordonnées du même. Cq. cour. C.: une étoile d'arg. [Armes de Jacob Cats, poète hollandais, conseiller-pensionnaire de Hollande et garde des sceaux. Créé chevalier par Charles I, roi d'Angleterre, en 1629, les armes suivantes lui furent assignées: Ec.: au 1 d'arg. à une rose de gu., bout. d'or, barbée de sin.; au 2 d'azur à une tour d'or; au 3 d'azur à une épée d'arg., garnie d'or, en pal, acc. de trois étoiles mal-ordonnées du même, 1 en chef et 2 accostant la pointe de l'épée; au 4 d'arg. à un rocher de plusieurs coupeaux au nat., mouv. du flanc sen. et de la p., duquel jaillit un ruisseau au nat. Cq. environné d'une couronne de lauriers de sin. C.: une étoile (6) rayonnante d'or; entre un vol, d'azur et de gu. L. d'azur et de gu.]”
Netherlandsc. 1815
Where the Cats Arms Were Recorded
Friesland
Map of Netherlands showing where the Cats arms are recorded
The Cats arms were recorded in Netherlands, c. 1815.
Arms such as these were typically recorded in Friesland.
Friesland was low, wet country on the northern coast of the Netherlands, farmed by families who had held the same land for centuries. Free landholders were unusually common there, and a free landholder could carry 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.
Region
Friesland
First recorded
1815
Granting Authority for the Cats Arms
Hoge Raad van Adel
Photograph made by me · CC BY-SA 3.0
The body that granted and recorded arms in Netherlands in this period.
William I of the Netherlands
Sovereign of the period
William I of the Netherlands
1815–1840
Reigning in Netherlands when the Cats arms are first recorded.
How Arms Worked in Netherlands
In the Netherlands, coats of arms were often used by noble families and those who held specific public offices. These arms were passed down through the generations to legitimate descendants. Younger branches of a family usually kept the original design without needing to add special marks. This system ensured that the family identity remained clear and consistent over many years.
Granting authority
The Hoge Raad van Adel is the official body that regulates and manages noble titles and coats of arms in the Netherlands.
How they got arms
Families typically obtained their coats of arms through official royal grants or by proving their long-standing historical use of the symbols.
Where arms were recorded
Coats of arms are officially recorded in the registers held by the Hoge Raad van Adel, which began its work in 1814.
The family's standing
Recorded among the armigerous families of Netherlands.
Origin & History of the Cats Family in Netherlands
The family name Cats has deep roots in the northern provinces of the Netherlands, particularly within the region of Friesland. By the early 19th century, the name was well established in this area, appearing in official civil records around 1815 when the Dutch government began standardizing surnames. The name itself is likely a patronymic or a descriptive nickname, as it was common for families in the Frisian territories to adopt names based on local wildlife, common objects, or ancestral occupations. Because Friesland maintained a unique cultural and linguistic identity separate from the rest of the Netherlands, families in this region often kept distinct naming traditions that were passed down through generations. These ancestors were typically part of the rural or merchant classes who helped shape the local economy and social structure of the Frisian countryside during a time of significant political change in Europe.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Cattus
A Latin term referring to a cat or a wild feline.
This name
CatsA nickname for a person thought to possess cat-like agility or stealthy traits.
also spelled
Kats
Catz
Katz
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Tresoar (Fries Historisch en Letterkundig Centrum), Burgerlijke Stand van Friesland
Nationaal Archief, Registers van de Burgerlijke Stand
Meertens, P.J., De betekenis van de Nederlandse familienamen, 1950
Van der Schaar, J., Woordenboek van voornamen, 1964
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
towerGrandeur and solidity, and a stronghold defended
swordJustice, and military honour
starThe celestial goddess, and nobility
