A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Dente family of Italy.
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)“Coupé-enclavé de sa. sur arg.”
The Dente arms were recorded in Venice, c. 1775.
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.
Reigning in Italy when the Dente arms are first recorded.
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.
The surname Dente carries a rich history rooted in the linguistic traditions of Northern Italy. Derived from the Italian word for tooth, the name likely began as a descriptive nickname for an ancestor who possessed a prominent or distinct set of teeth. By the year 1775, members of the Dente family were well-established residents of Venice, a city defined by its intricate network of canals and its status as a major center for trade and culture. During this period, families in Venice often played active roles in the city's guild systems or maritime commerce, contributing to the vibrant social fabric of the Venetian Republic. As the family grew, they became part of the long-standing demographic history of the region, leaving behind a legacy that reflects the naming customs and urban life of eighteenth-century Italy.
Latin word meaning tooth or projection.
