A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Cheval family of Belgium.
Reg. 6274 · Belgian, A–C
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
fessThe military belt, and readiness to serve
Colours
Silver (Argent)Means: Peace and sincerity
Blue (Azure)Means: Loyalty and truth
Historical info
Source
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)
“D'arg. à quatre fasces d'azur.”
Belgiumc. 1737
Where the Cheval Arms Were Recorded
Brabant
Map of Belgium showing where the Cheval arms are recorded
The Cheval arms were recorded in Belgium, c. 1737.
Arms such as these were typically recorded in Brabant.
Brabant lay at the heart of the Low Countries, where the trade routes met. Its towns were wealthy and its landowners many, and both kinds of family kept arms, which is why the region is so heavily represented.
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 Belgium in this period.
Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor
Sovereign of the period
Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor
1711–1740
Reigning in Belgium when the Cheval arms are first recorded.
How Arms Worked in Belgium
In Belgium, a coat of arms is considered personal property that is passed down through the male line to legitimate descendants. Families often use the same shield design across generations to show their shared heritage. If a branch of the family wants to change the design, they must apply for an official update to their specific version of the arms.
Granting authority
The Conseil héraldique is the official body that regulates and approves all coats of arms in Belgium.
How they got arms
Families obtain their coats of arms through formal royal grants or by confirming their historical right to use existing designs.
Where arms were recorded
All approved coats of arms are officially recorded in the public registers of the Conseil héraldique since 1844.
The family's standing
Recorded among the armigerous families of Belgium.
Origin & History of the Cheval Family in Belgium
The family name Cheval originates from the French word for horse, which suggests that the earliest ancestors likely worked with horses or possessed a personality trait associated with the animal. By the year 1737, records confirm that members of the Cheval family were established in the region of Brabant. During this era, Brabant was a central hub for trade and agriculture, placing the family in a dynamic area that spanned parts of modern-day Belgium and the Netherlands. Life for the family at this time would have revolved around the local village economy, likely involving farming or skilled craftsmanship. As the name spread through the region, it became a distinct identifier for a lineage that had deep roots in the rural and social landscape of the eighteenth century.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Caballus
A Latin term referring to a pack horse or work horse.
This name
ChevalAn occupational surname for someone who worked with horses, such as a groom or horse dealer.
also spelled
Chevall
Chevale
Sheval
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Brabant State Archives (Rijksarchief in België), Parochieregisters van Brabant
De Smet, A., Geschiedenis van Brabant, 1965
Fruin, R., De geschiedenis van de Nederlanden, 1920
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fessThe military belt, and readiness to serve
fessThe military belt, and readiness to serve
