Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)“D'or à la bande échiq. de gu. et d'azur; au lambel d'arg., br. en chef.”
A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Gardin family of Belgium.
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)“D'or à la bande échiq. de gu. et d'azur; au lambel d'arg., br. en chef.”
The Gardin arms were recorded in Belgium, c. 1737.
Arms such as these were typically recorded in Brabant.
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.
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.
The family name Gardin has deep roots in the historical region of Brabant, where records confirm the family was well-established by 1737. The name itself is derived from the Old French word "gardin," which translates to a garden or an enclosed piece of land. Historically, this suggests that the earliest ancestors were likely people who worked as gardeners, groundskeepers, or farmers who managed private estates. During the eighteenth century, Brabant was a bustling center of trade and agriculture, and families like the Gardins were often tied to the land through their specialized skills in cultivation. As these families grew, the name became a permanent marker of their identity within their local communities. By settling in this region, the Gardin family became part of the long tradition of craftsmanship and land management that defined the social structure of the Low Countries during the Enlightenment era.
Old French term for an enclosed piece of land or garden.
