A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Figueiredo family of Portugal.
Reg. 3656 · Portuguese, D–F
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
leafHappiness and abundance
Colours
Red (Gules)Means: Military strength
Green (Vert)Means: Hope
Historical info
Source
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)
“De gu à cinq feuilles de figuier de sin., rehaussées d'or, 2, 1 et 2.”
Portugalc. 1706
Where the Figueiredo Arms Were Recorded
Lisboa
Map of Portugal showing where the Figueiredo arms are recorded
The Figueiredo arms were recorded in Portugal, c. 1706.
Arms such as these were typically recorded in Lisboa.
Lisbon was the seat of the Portuguese crown and the port its wealth came through. Families made rich by trade and by service to the king took arms, and the crown's heralds recorded them there.
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 Portugal in this period.
Peter II of Portugal
Sovereign of the period
Peter II of Portugal
1683–1706
Reigning in Portugal when the Figueiredo arms are first recorded.
How Arms Worked in Portugal
In Portugal, a coat of arms was a family possession that passed from a father to his children. Every legitimate descendant had the right to use the family shield without needing to change it. Younger branches of the family kept the original design, though they sometimes added small symbols to distinguish their specific line from the main branch.
Granting authority
The Cartório da Nobreza acted as the official body that managed and regulated noble titles and coats of arms in Portugal.
How they got arms
Families typically inherited their arms through bloodline, though they could also receive new grants from the crown for distinguished service.
Where arms were recorded
Coats of arms were officially recorded in the books of the Cartório da Nobreza starting in the year 1512.
The family's standing
Recorded among the armigerous families of Portugal.
Origin & History of the Figueiredo Family in Portugal
The surname Figueiredo is a classic Portuguese toponymic name, which means it was originally derived from a specific place. The name comes from the Portuguese word *figueiral*, referring to a grove or orchard of fig trees. During the Middle Ages, it was common for families to adopt the name of the land they owned or managed to distinguish themselves from others in their community. By the time the family was firmly established in Lisbon in 1706, the name had already been in use for centuries across the Iberian Peninsula. Families bearing this name were often part of the landed gentry or local administration, playing active roles in the social and economic life of the kingdom. As the family grew, members moved from rural areas into major urban centers like Lisbon, where they contributed to the city's vibrant trade and political history during the eighteenth century.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Ficus
Latin term for the fig tree.
This name
FigueiredoA topographic name for someone who lived near a fig tree plantation.
also spelled
Figueired
Feegayredo
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Antenor Nascentes, Dicionário Etimológico da Língua Portuguesa, 1932
José Pedro Machado, Dicionário Onomástico Etimológico da Língua Portuguesa, 1981
Arquivo Nacional da Torre do Tombo, Registos Paroquiais de Lisboa, 1706
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leafHappiness and abundance
leafHappiness and abundance
