A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Dompierre family of Switzerland.
Reg. 4411 · Swiss, D–F
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
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Colours
Blue (Azure)Means: Loyalty and truth
Red (Gules)Means: Military strength
Silver (Argent)Means: Peace and sincerity
Historical info
Source
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)
“Coupé: au 1 d'azur à un monde d'arg., cintré et croisé d'or; au 2 de gu. à un bélier pass. d'arg.”
GenevoisGenevois, c. 1745
Where the Dompierre Arms Were Recorded
Map of Switzerland showing where the Dompierre arms are recorded
The Dompierre arms were recorded in Genevois, c. 1745.
Genevois was Alpine country south of Geneva, held in small estates by families who stayed put. Land there passed down the same line for centuries, and long tenure counted for more than wealth.
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 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 Genevois.
Origin & History of the Dompierre Family in Switzerland
The surname Dompierre is a locative name, meaning it was originally derived from a specific place rather than a trade or personal trait. The name translates from French as "Lord’s Stone" or "Saint Peter’s Church," suggesting that the earliest members of the family likely lived near a prominent stone building or a parish dedicated to Saint Peter. By 1745, records confirm that the family was well-established in the Genevois region, which sits along the border of modern-day France and Switzerland. During this era, families in the Genevois were often deeply connected to the land and the local agricultural economy. As the family grew, they became part of the social fabric of the alpine foothills, where the name served as a marker of their geographic origins and their historical ties to the local community.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Dominus Petrus
Latin for Master or Lord Peter.
This name
DompierreRefers to a person originating from a location associated with Saint Peter.
also spelled
Dompier
Dompyerre
Dompierr
Dompyer
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Archives départementales de la Haute-Savoie, État civil de la province du Genevois
Dauzat, Albert, Dictionnaire étymologique des noms de famille et prénoms de France, 1951
Morand, Laurent, Les Bauges : histoire et documents, 1889
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