A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Damen family of Netherlands.
Reg. 1243 · Dutch, D–F
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
saltireResolution, and St Andrew's cross
maceAuthority, and the officer who bears it
Colours
Gold (Or)Means: Generosity
Black (Sable)Means: Constancy
Historical info
Source
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)
“D'or à deux masses à picotons de sa., passées en saut. C.: les meubles de l'écu.”
Netherlandsc. 1815
Where the Damen Arms Were Recorded
Friesland
Map of Netherlands showing where the Damen arms are recorded
The Damen 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 Damen 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 Damen 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 Damen Family in Netherlands
The family name Damen is a patronymic surname, which means it originated as a way to identify a person as the son of someone named Adam. Over many generations, the name evolved from Adamson or Adams into the shortened form Damen. By the early 19th century, records confirm that members of the family were well-established in the northern Dutch province of Friesland. During this period, the Netherlands underwent significant changes in how citizens registered their surnames due to new government requirements for formal family records. The people living in Friesland at that time were often involved in agriculture or maritime trades, which were the primary economic drivers of the region. As the family grew and moved throughout the Netherlands, the name became a permanent marker of their ancestral connection to these early Frisian roots.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Adam
Hebrew for man or of the earth
This name
DamenA patronymic surname meaning son of Adam
also spelled
Dammen
Damin
Related arms
Bischofsrodasimilar arms
Dahmensimilar arms
Damanvariant spelling
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Meertens Instituut, Nederlandse Familienamenbank, 2023
Tresoar (Fries Historisch en Letterkundig Centrum), Burgerlijke Stand van Friesland, 1811–1950
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.
saltireResolution, and St Andrew's cross
maceAuthority, and the officer who bears it
saltireResolution, and St Andrew's cross
maceAuthority, and the officer who bears it
