A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Fonda family of Italy.
Reg. 1106 · Italian, D–F
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
armA person of action, industrious and laborious
Colours
Blue (Azure)Means: Loyalty and truth
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)
“D'azur à un bras, paré d'arg., mouv. de l'angle sen. du chef, la main de carn. tenant une aiguière d'or et versant de l'eau sur une rose d'arg., tigée et feuillée de sin., terrassée du même.”
DalmatiaDalmatia, c. 1775
Where the Fonda Arms Were Recorded
Map of Italy showing where the Fonda arms are recorded
The Fonda arms were recorded in Dalmatia, c. 1775.
Dalmatia was a string of walled towns along the Adriatic coast, each with its own leading families. Sea trade made them wealthy, and the towns kept lists of the houses entitled to 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.
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 Fonda 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 Dalmatia.
Origin & History of the Fonda Family in Italy
The family name Fonda traces its roots to the coastal regions of the Adriatic Sea, with significant historical records placing the family in Dalmatia by the year 1775. The name is believed to be topographic in origin, likely derived from the Italian word "fondo," which refers to the bottom of a valley or a piece of land. Families with this name often lived near the sea or in fertile lowlands, which shaped their early livelihoods as traders, sailors, or farmers. As the family moved throughout the Mediterranean, they integrated into the local cultures of the Dalmatian coast, which was a vibrant crossroads of Venetian, Slavic, and Mediterranean influences during the eighteenth century. This geographic placement suggests that the early members of the Fonda family were part of a mobile population that relied on maritime commerce and regional agriculture to establish their presence in the area.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Fundus
Latin term referring to the bottom, base, or a piece of land.
This name
FondaA topographic surname denoting someone who lived at the bottom of a valley or on a specific estate.
also spelled
Fondae
Fondah
Fonday
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Kosić, Mirko. Povijest dalmatinskih obitelji (History of Dalmatian Families), 1982
State Archives in Zadar, Matice krštenih i vjenčanih (Registers of Baptisms and Marriages), 1770–1800
Vrandečić, Josip. Dalmatinski gradovi u 18. stoljeću (Dalmatian Cities in the 18th Century), 2002
Digital archive packCoat of arms PNG, gold border print PDF, vector SVG and the certificate of authenticity. Sent to your email in minutes.
armA person of action, industrious and laborious
armA person of action, industrious and laborious
