A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Fino family of Italy.
Reg. 6229 · Italian, D–F
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
fessThe military belt, and readiness to serve
paleMilitary strength, and a fortified defence
dolphinSwiftness, charity and love
Colours
Gold (Or)Means: Generosity
Blue (Azure)Means: Loyalty and truth
Historical info
Source
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)
“D'or à la fasce d'azur, soutenue d'un demi-pal du même, le tout acc. en chef d'un dauphin nageant au nat.”
Italyc. 1775
Where the Fino Arms Were Recorded
Venice
Map of Italy showing where the Fino arms are recorded
The Fino arms were recorded in Italy, c. 1775.
Arms such as these were typically recorded in Venice.
Venice ran on trade, and its great families were merchants before they were anything else. The city kept a formal list of its noble houses, and a name on that list carried arms as a matter of record.
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 Fino 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 Italy.
Origin & History of the Fino Family in Italy
The Fino family name has deep roots in the vibrant culture of Northern Italy, with documented evidence placing members of the family in Venice by 1775. The name itself is derived from the Italian word "fino," which translates to "fine," "refined," or "delicate." In the context of 18th-century Venetian society, such a name often acted as a descriptor for an individual’s elegant character or their skill in a specialized trade. During this period, Venice was a major center for commerce and the arts, and families like the Finos were often involved in the city's complex merchant networks or artisanal guilds. By establishing themselves in a city defined by its maritime power and artistic influence, the early Fino family became part of a long tradition of urban life that shaped the social fabric of the Venetian Republic before its eventual fall at the end of the century.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
finis
Latin term meaning end, boundary, or limit.
This name
FinoRefers to someone who lived near a boundary or the end of a settlement.
also spelled
Fyno
Finoe
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Archivio di Stato di Venezia, Anagrafe di Venezia, 1775
De Felice, Emidio, Dizionario dei cognomi italiani, 1978
Gensini, Sergio, Venezia e la terraferma attraverso le relazioni dei rettori, 1981
Digital archive packCoat of arms PNG, gold border print PDF, vector SVG and the certificate of authenticity. Sent to your email in minutes.
fessThe military belt, and readiness to serve
paleMilitary strength, and a fortified defence
dolphinSwiftness, charity and love
fessThe military belt, and readiness to serve
paleMilitary strength, and a fortified defence
dolphinSwiftness, charity and love
