A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Drago family of Italy.
Reg. 7405 · Italian, D–F
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
mountThe ground held, and steadfastness upon it
dragonA most valiant defender of treasure
mulletThe third son, and a divine quality from above
eagleNobility, strength and a keen mind
Colours
Gold (Or)Means: Generosity
Blue (Azure)Means: Loyalty and truth
Green (Vert)Means: Hope
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)
“Parti: au 1 d'or à la demi-aigie de sa., bq., m. et cour. de gu., mouv. du parti; au 2 d'azur à un dragon d'or, les ailes levées, soutenu d'un tertre de trois coupeaux de sin. et acc. de trois étoiles d'or rangées en chef. Cq. cour. C.: un bras arm., iss. de la couronne, tenant une épée, le tout au nat.; entre un vol de sa. L.: à dextre d'or et de sa., à sen. d'arg. et de gu.”
DalmatiaDalmatia, c. 1775
Digital archive packCoat of arms PNG, gold border print PDF, vector SVG and the certificate of authenticity. Sent to your email in minutes.
Map of Italy showing where the Drago arms are recorded
The Drago arms were recorded in Dalmatia, c. 1775.
Dalmatia was a string of walled towns along the Adriatic coast, each with its own leading families. Sea trade made them wealthy, and the towns kept lists of the houses entitled to arms.
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 Drago 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 Dalmatia.
Origin & History of the Drago Family in Italy
The name Drago traces its roots to the coastal region of Dalmatia, where families bearing this name were well-established by the late eighteenth century. The name itself is derived from the ancient Greek name Dragon, which translates to dragon or serpent, and it was often used as a shortened form of names like Dragoslav or Dragutin. In the social structure of Dalmatian towns during the 1700s, families like the Dragos were often deeply integrated into the local maritime and agricultural economy. Because Dalmatia served as a crossroads between the Venetian Republic and the Ottoman Empire, families in this region frequently adapted their names to suit the shifting cultural influences of the Adriatic coast. By 1775, the Drago family was already a recognized part of the local community, contributing to the unique blend of Slavic and Mediterranean traditions that defined the region during that era.
Drago Meaning & Related Branches
Root word
Draco
Latin term for a dragon or a mythical serpent.
This name
DragoAn occupational or descriptive surname referring to a fierce or powerful person.
also spelled
Dragoe
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Skok, Petar. Etimologijski rječnik hrvatskoga ili srpskoga jezika. 1971
Šimunović, Petar. Hrvatska prezimena: podrijetlo, značenje, rasprostranjenost. 2006
State Archives in Zadar (Državni arhiv u Zadru), Zbirka matičnih knjiga (Collection of Parish Registers)
Digital archive packCoat of arms PNG, gold border print PDF, vector SVG and the certificate of authenticity. Sent to your email in minutes.
mountThe ground held, and steadfastness upon it
dragonA most valiant defender of treasure
mulletThe third son, and a divine quality from above
eagleNobility, strength and a keen mind
mountThe ground held, and steadfastness upon it
dragonA most valiant defender of treasure
mulletThe third son, and a divine quality from above
eagleNobility, strength and a keen mind
