A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Flander family of Belgium.
Reg. 2888 · Belgian, D–F
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
lionCourage, strength and royalty
Colours
Red (Gules)Means: Military strength
Gold (Or)Means: Generosity
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)
“De gu.; au fr.-q. de Flandre, qui est d'or au lion de sa., arm. et lamp. de gu. [Descendants illégitimes de Louis de Crécy, comte de Flandre.]”
BrabantBrabant, c. 1737
Where the Flander Arms Were Recorded
Brabant
Map of Belgium showing where the Flander arms are recorded
The Flander arms were recorded in Brabant, c. 1737.
Brabant lay at the heart of the Low Countries, where the trade routes met. Its towns were wealthy and its landowners many, and both kinds of family kept arms, which is why the region is so heavily represented.
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 Belgium in this period.
Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor
Sovereign of the period
Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor
1711–1740
Reigning in Belgium when the Flander arms are first recorded.
How Arms Worked in Belgium
In Belgium, a coat of arms is considered personal property that is passed down through the male line to legitimate descendants. Families often use the same shield design across generations to show their shared heritage. If a branch of the family wants to change the design, they must apply for an official update to their specific version of the arms.
Granting authority
The Conseil héraldique is the official body that regulates and approves all coats of arms in Belgium.
How they got arms
Families obtain their coats of arms through formal royal grants or by confirming their historical right to use existing designs.
Where arms were recorded
All approved coats of arms are officially recorded in the public registers of the Conseil héraldique since 1844.
The family's standing
Recorded among the armigerous families of Brabant.
Origin & History of the Flander Family in Belgium
The family name Flander is deeply rooted in the historical landscape of the Low Countries, with clear records placing the family in the Duchy of Brabant by 1737. During the eighteenth century, Brabant was a prosperous region known for its complex network of trade and agriculture, which likely influenced the daily lives of early family members. The name itself is closely linked to the historical County of Flanders, suggesting that the family may have originally migrated from that coastal area into the central Brabant region. In this era, surnames were often used to identify a person’s place of origin, meaning that someone moving from Flanders to Brabant would naturally be referred to by their geographic roots. By settling in this vibrant territory, the early Flander family became part of a long tradition of movement and cultural exchange that defined the history of the region before the modern borders of Belgium were established.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Vlaenderen
Low-lying marshy land or flooded territory.
This name
FlanderRefers to a person originating from the historical region of Flanders.
also spelled
Flandre
Flander
Flandres
de Flander
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
State Archives in Belgium (Rijksarchief in België), Parochieregisters van de provincie Brabant
Blok, P.J., Geschiedenis van het Nederlandsche volk, 1923
Pirenne, Henri, Histoire de Belgique, 1900
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lionCourage, strength and royalty
lionCourage, strength and royalty
