Map of Netherlands showing where the Dykema arms are recorded
The Dykema arms were recorded in Friesland, c. 1815.
Friesland was low, wet country on the northern coast of the Netherlands, farmed by families who had held the same land for centuries. Free landholders were unusually common there, and a free landholder could carry 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.
Region
Friesland
First recorded
1815
Granting Authority for the Dykema Arms
Hoge Raad van Adel
Photograph made by me · CC BY-SA 3.0
The body that granted and recorded arms in Netherlands in this period.
William I of the Netherlands
Sovereign of the period
William I of the Netherlands
1815–1840
Reigning in Netherlands when the Dykema arms are first recorded.
How Arms Worked in Netherlands
In the Netherlands, coats of arms were often used by noble families and those who held specific public offices. These arms were passed down through the generations to legitimate descendants. Younger branches of a family usually kept the original design without needing to add special marks. This system ensured that the family identity remained clear and consistent over many years.
Granting authority
The Hoge Raad van Adel is the official body that regulates and manages noble titles and coats of arms in the Netherlands.
How they got arms
Families typically obtained their coats of arms through official royal grants or by proving their long-standing historical use of the symbols.
Where arms were recorded
Coats of arms are officially recorded in the registers held by the Hoge Raad van Adel, which began its work in 1814.
The family's standing
Recorded among the armigerous families of Friesland.
Origin & History of the Dykema Family in Netherlands
The family name Dykema originates from the northern province of Friesland in the Netherlands. In the Frisian language, the suffix "ma" typically denotes a person who belongs to a specific family or household. The first part of the name, "Dyk," refers to a dike or an embankment used to hold back water. This suggests that the earliest ancestors of the Dykema family were likely people who lived near or worked on the extensive system of dikes that protected the low-lying Frisian coastline from the North Sea. By 1815, when the Dutch government began formalizing civil registrations under the Napoleonic Code, the Dykema name was already well-established within the local communities of Friesland. These early family members were often farmers or laborers who played a vital role in maintaining the land and water management systems that defined the Frisian landscape for generations.
Dykema Meaning & Related Branches
Root word
dijk
A man-made embankment or barrier built to prevent flooding.
This name
DykemaA person who lived near or worked on a protective dike.
also spelled
Dekemma
Dechema
Dechemma
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Tresoar (Frisian Historical and Literary Center), Burgerlijke Stand van Friesland (1811–1950)
Hofstra, T., Fryske familienammen (1995)
Meer, D.J. van der, De Fryske nammekunde (1988)
Digital archive packCoat of arms PNG, gold border print PDF, vector SVG and the certificate of authenticity. Sent to your email in minutes.
fleur de lisPurity, light, and the sixth son
fleur de lisPurity, light, and the sixth son
