A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the del Bufalo family of Italy.
Reg. 1191 · Italian, D–F
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
bullValour and generosity
ringFidelity, and a promise kept
Colours
Red (Gules)Means: Military strength
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)
“de gu. et d'or; au rencontre de boeuf de sa., bouclé d'or, br. sur le tout, surm. d'un listel d'arg. inscrit du mot ORDO en lettres de sa. [V. Buball et de Buffalis.]”
Italyc. 1775
Where the del Bufalo Arms Were Recorded
Venice
Map of Italy showing where the del Bufalo arms are recorded
The del Bufalo arms were recorded in Italy, c. 1775.
Arms such as these were typically recorded in Venice.
Venice ran on trade, and its great families were merchants before they were anything else. The city kept a formal list of its noble houses, and a name on that list carried arms as a matter of record.
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 Italy in this period.
Alvise Giovanni Mocenigo
Sovereign of the period
Alvise Giovanni Mocenigo
1763–1778
Reigning in Italy when the del Bufalo arms are first recorded.
How Arms Worked in Italy
In the Italian states, coats of arms were often used by noble families to show their status and history. These symbols were passed down through the generations to all legitimate male descendants. Younger branches of a family usually kept the original design but sometimes added small changes to distinguish their specific line from the main branch.
Granting authority
Various local rulers and city governments controlled the use of coats of arms across the different Italian states.
How they got arms
Families often assumed their own arms or received them as official grants from local lords, popes, or city councils.
Where arms were recorded
Arms were recorded in local city archives or private family books rather than in one single national register.
The family's standing
Recorded among the armigerous families of Italy.
Origin & History of the del Bufalo Family in Italy
The family name Del Bufalo carries a rich history rooted in the social landscape of Italy, with distinct branches appearing in various regions over the centuries. By the year 1775, records confirm that members of the family were well-established in the city of Venice. During this era, Venice functioned as a major hub for trade and diplomacy, and families like the Del Bufalos often integrated into the city’s complex administrative and merchant networks. The name itself suggests a connection to the Italian word for buffalo, which may have originally served as a descriptive nickname for an ancestor known for their strength or resilience. As the family moved through the Italian peninsula, they adapted to the local customs of cities like Venice, where they participated in the civic life that defined the late eighteenth century.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Bufalus
A Latin term referring to a wild ox or buffalo.
This name
del BufaloAn occupational or descriptive surname indicating a person who herded or resembled a buffalo.
also spelled
del Buffalo
del Bufallo
Bufalo
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Gams, Pius Bonifacius. Series episcoporum Ecclesiae catholicae, quotquot innotuerunt a beato Petro apostolo. 1873
Archivio di Stato di Venezia, Anagrafe di Venezia, Sezione dei cittadini
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bullValour and generosity
ringFidelity, and a promise kept
bullValour and generosity
ringFidelity, and a promise kept
