A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Folmer family of Netherlands.
Reg. 3850 · Dutch, D–F
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
roundelA coin, and one who has been to the crusades
Colours
Green (Vert)Means: Hope
Silver (Argent)Means: Peace and sincerity
Historical info
Source
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)
“De sin. à trois bes. d'arg.”
Netherlandsc. 1815
Where the Folmer Arms Were Recorded
Friesland
Map of Netherlands showing where the Folmer arms are recorded
The Folmer arms were recorded in Netherlands, c. 1815.
Arms such as these were typically recorded in Friesland.
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 Folmer 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 Folmer 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 Folmer Family in Netherlands
The surname Folmer is deeply connected to the Germanic roots of the Northern Netherlands, specifically within the province of Friesland. The name itself is a patronymic, meaning it originated as a way to identify a person as the son of someone named Folmer. This given name is derived from the Old Germanic elements "folc," meaning people or folk, and "meri," meaning famous or renowned. By the early 19th century, families carrying this name were well-established in the Frisian landscape, a region known for its unique language and strong tradition of independent farming communities. Records from 1815 show that these families were already integrated into the local civil administration during a time of great political transition in the Netherlands. As the Napoleonic era ended and the Kingdom of the Netherlands was formed, the Folmer family was part of a society that was beginning to standardize surnames for official census and tax purposes. This process solidified the name as a permanent family identifier that had been passed down through generations of Frisian ancestors.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Folcmar
A Germanic compound meaning people and famous or renowned.
This name
FolmerDerived from a medieval personal name signifying a person famous among the people.
also spelled
Vollmer
Folmer
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Tresoar (Fries Historisch en Letterkundig Centrum), Burgerlijke Stand van Friesland
Huizinga, A., Encyclopedie van namen, 1955
Van der Schaar, J., Woordenboek van voornamen, 1964
Digital archive packCoat of arms PNG, gold border print PDF, vector SVG and the certificate of authenticity. Sent to your email in minutes.
roundelA coin, and one who has been to the crusades
roundelA coin, and one who has been to the crusades
