De Wet Coat of Arms Record & History

A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the De Wet family of Switzerland.

Reg. 8356 · Swiss, D–F

Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details

Symbols on this shield
handFaith, sincerity and justice
paleMilitary strength, and a fortified defence
escutcheonA shield within a shield, and a claim inherited
headHonour, and a mind held high
Colours
Blue (Azure)Means: Loyalty and truth
Silver (Argent)Means: Peace and sincerity
Gold (Or)Means: Generosity
Black (Sable)Means: Constancy
Red (Gules)Means: Military strength
What the shield shows

A blue background with a silver right hand upright, the back of it showing, and a gold edging around the shield.

Source

J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87

Blazon (the actual original written record)

“D'azur à une main dextre adossée d'arg., en pal; l'écu bordé d'or. Cq. cour. C.: une femme iss., les cheveux épars, hab. d'azur, cour. d'or, les bras nus, tenant de ses deux mains un voile au-dessus de sa tête divisé sur la longueur de gu., d'arg. et d'azur. L. de sa. et de gu.”

SwitzerlandBâle, c. 1745

Where the De Wet Arms Were Recorded

Bern
Map of Switzerland showing where the De Wet arms are recorded

The De Wet arms were recorded in Bâle, c. 1745.

Arms such as these were typically recorded in Bern.

Bern was the largest of the Swiss cantons and ran itself, with its own council and its own courts. Its governing families held office for generations, and office of that kind carried a shield with it.

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
Bern
Town
Bâle
First recorded
1745

Granting Authority for the De Wet Arms

Arms of Cantonal and civic registers
Cantonal and civic registers
Authority

Cantonal and civic registers

14th century onwards

The body that granted and recorded arms in Switzerland in this period.

How Arms Worked in Switzerland

In Switzerland, coats of arms were not restricted to the nobility and were often adopted by common citizens and families. These symbols were passed down through generations to show family identity. When branches of a family grew, they often changed small details of the design to distinguish their own line from the original group.

Granting authority
Cantonal and civic authorities managed the use of coats of arms within their specific regions and local jurisdictions.
How they got arms
Families typically assumed their own coats of arms based on local custom rather than receiving them from a central monarch.
Where arms were recorded
Arms were recorded in various cantonal and civic registers starting from the fourteenth century throughout the Swiss region.
The family's standing
Recorded among the armigerous families of Switzerland.

Origin & History of the De Wet Family in Switzerland

Pronunciation duh-VET/də ˈvɛt/

The family name De Wet is deeply rooted in the history of the Swiss canton of Bern. By the year 1745, records confirm that members of the family were established residents of this region. The name itself is likely derived from the Middle High German word "wet," which refers to a watering place or a pond used for livestock. In early European naming traditions, families were often identified by the specific landscape features near their homes. This suggests that the first people to carry the name lived near a significant communal water source in the Swiss countryside.

As the 18th century progressed, the family became part of the social and economic fabric of Bern. During this era, Bern was a powerful city-state, and families like the De Wets were often involved in local trade, agriculture, or civic administration. While many families remained in Switzerland for generations, the political and economic climate of the mid-1700s encouraged some individuals to seek new opportunities abroad. This movement eventually led to the name spreading far beyond the borders of Bern, carrying the history of its Swiss origins into new territories.

Related Branches & Arms

Root word
Wett

Old High German term referring to a pledge, wager, or law.

This name
De WetRefers to a person who served as a law officer, judge, or magistrate.
also spelled
Wette
Wett
Wettee
de Wet

Documented Sources

J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87

Familiennamenbuch der Schweiz (Swiss Genealogical Society), Familiennamenbuch der Schweiz, 1989

Staatsarchiv des Kantons Bern, Kirchenbücher der Stadt Bern, 1745

Historisches Lexikon der Schweiz, Historisches Lexikon der Schweiz, 2002