A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Elbers family of Netherlands.
Reg. 8757 · Dutch, D–F
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
paleMilitary strength, and a fortified defence
foxWit and wisdom in defence
triangleThe Trinity, and stability
Colours
Red (Gules)Means: Military strength
Silver (Argent)Means: Peace and sincerity
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)
“Coupé: au 1 de gu. à un renard ramp. et cont. d'arg., la tête et les pattes de devant d'or; au 2 d'arg. à un triangle vidé, posé sur sa base, dans lequel se trouve un pairle renversé, le pal dudit pairle croisé d'une traverse, le tout de sa.”
NetherlandsAmsterdam, c. 1815
Where the Elbers Arms Were Recorded
Amsterdam
Map of Netherlands showing where the Elbers arms are recorded
The Elbers arms were recorded in Amsterdam, c. 1815.
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
Amsterdam
Town
Amsterdam
First recorded
1815
Granting Authority for the Elbers 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 Elbers 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 Netherlands.
Origin & History of the Elbers Family in Netherlands
The surname Elbers is a patronymic name, which means it was originally created to identify a person as the son of someone named Elbert. This naming tradition was very common in the Low Countries, where the name Elbert served as a shortened version of the Germanic name Adalbert. By the time the family was firmly established in Amsterdam in 1815, the name had transitioned from a simple description of parentage into a permanent family identifier passed down through generations. During the early 19th century, Amsterdam was a bustling center of trade and migration, and families like the Elbers were part of the city’s growing urban population. As the Napoleonic era ended and the Kingdom of the Netherlands was formed, the government began to standardize civil records, ensuring that names like Elbers were officially documented in municipal registers for the first time. This period marked a transition where the family name became a fixed part of their identity in the records of the city.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Adalbert
Noble and bright or famous
This name
ElbersA patronymic form meaning son of the noble and bright one
also spelled
Elberse
Elbersz
Elberz
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Meertens, P.J., De betekenis van de Nederlandse familienamen, 1957
Van der Schaar, J., Woordenboek van voornamen, 1964
paleMilitary strength, and a fortified defence
foxWit and wisdom in defence
triangleThe Trinity, and stability
paleMilitary strength, and a fortified defence
foxWit and wisdom in defence
triangleThe Trinity, and stability
