A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Dornon family of Belgium.
Reg. 6086 · Belgian, D–F
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
chevronProtection, and faithful service completed
crescentHonour by the sovereign, and the second son
Colours
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)
“De gu. au chev. d'arg., acc. de trois croiss. du même. C.: un lion iss. de gu., tenant de sa patte dextre un croiss. d'arg. [V. Paternostre-Dornon.]”
HainautHainaut, c. 1737
Where the Dornon Arms Were Recorded
Hainaut
Map of Belgium showing where the Dornon arms are recorded
The Dornon arms were recorded in Hainaut, c. 1737.
Hainaut sat on the border between France and the Low Countries and was fought over for centuries. Families there held their land under arms and expected to defend it, so a shield was a working thing.
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 Belgium in this period.
Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor
Sovereign of the period
Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor
1711–1740
Reigning in Belgium when the Dornon arms are first recorded.
How Arms Worked in Belgium
In Belgium, a coat of arms is considered personal property that is passed down through the male line to legitimate descendants. Families often use the same shield design across generations to show their shared heritage. If a branch of the family wants to change the design, they must apply for an official update to their specific version of the arms.
Granting authority
The Conseil héraldique is the official body that regulates and approves all coats of arms in Belgium.
How they got arms
Families obtain their coats of arms through formal royal grants or by confirming their historical right to use existing designs.
Where arms were recorded
All approved coats of arms are officially recorded in the public registers of the Conseil héraldique since 1844.
The family's standing
Recorded among the armigerous families of Hainaut.
Origin & History of the Dornon Family in Belgium
The family name Dornon traces its early roots to the historical region of Hainaut, a territory that straddles the border between modern-day France and Belgium. By 1737, records confirm that members of the family were firmly established within this area. During the eighteenth century, Hainaut was a landscape defined by its rich agricultural output and its growing industrial potential in coal mining. Families living in this region often integrated into the local economy through trade or skilled labor, which allowed them to build stable lives in the rural villages and growing towns of the province. Because the name appears in local parish registers from this period, it is clear that the Dornon family was part of the common social fabric of the region, participating in the daily life and traditions of the community long before the major political shifts that later reshaped the map of Europe.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Dorn
A thorn or a prickly bush.
This name
DornonA topographic name for someone who lived near a prominent thorn bush or thicket.
also spelled
Cussemenet
Dornon
Kussemenet
Cusemenet de Dornon
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Archives de l'État à Mons, Registres paroissiaux de la province de Hainaut
Duvosquel, Jean-Marie, La région du Hainaut, 1989
Hélin, Étienne, La démographie de la province de Hainaut au XVIIIe siècle, 1963
Digital archive packCoat of arms PNG, gold border print PDF, vector SVG and the certificate of authenticity. Sent to your email in minutes.
chevronProtection, and faithful service completed
crescentHonour by the sovereign, and the second son
chevronProtection, and faithful service completed
crescentHonour by the sovereign, and the second son
