A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Garsia family of Spain.
Reg. 3022 · Spanish, G–I
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
saltireResolution, and St Andrew's cross
eagleNobility, strength and a keen mind
saltire coupedResolution, and the cross of St Andrew
Colours
Silver (Argent)Means: Peace and sincerity
Blue (Azure)Means: Loyalty and truth
Black (Sable)Means: Constancy
Gold (Or)Means: Generosity
Historical info
Source
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)
“D'arg. à une aigle de profil de sa., le vol ouv. et abaissé, la poitrine blessée et ensanglantée; à la bord. d'azur, ch. de huit flanchis d'or.”
AragonAragon, c. 1722
Where the Garsia Arms Were Recorded
Aragon
Map of Spain showing where the Garsia arms are recorded
The Garsia arms were recorded in Aragon, c. 1722.
Aragon was mountain and river country in north-eastern Spain, with a strong tradition of small independent landholders. A great many families counted as gentry there, and each one needed a shield to be told apart.
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 Spain in this period.
Philip V of Spain
Sovereign of the period
Philip V of Spain
1714–1724
Reigning in Spain when the Garsia arms are first recorded.
How Arms Worked in Spain
In Spain, a coat of arms was considered a form of property that belonged to the entire family line. These arms were passed down from a father to all his children equally. Younger branches of the family usually kept the original design without needing to add any special marks to distinguish their specific line.
Granting authority
The Cronista Rey de Armas was the official body that regulated and granted coats of arms throughout Spain.
How they got arms
Families often obtained their arms through royal grants or by proving their noble status to the official heraldic authority.
Where arms were recorded
Coats of arms were officially recorded in the registers of the Cronista Rey de Armas starting in 1496.
The family's standing
Recorded among the armigerous families of Aragon.
Origin & History of the Garsia Family in Spain
The name Garsia is a historic variation of the surname García, which is one of the most ancient and widespread family names in the Iberian Peninsula. Its roots are likely found in the pre-Roman languages of the region, possibly linked to the Basque word for bear or a term meaning young. By the time your ancestors were documented in the Kingdom of Aragon in 1722, the name had already been established for centuries as a prominent identifier among the local population. During this period, families in Aragon often lived in tight-knit rural communities where surnames helped distinguish lineages in parish registers and tax records. Because Aragon served as a vital crossroads for trade and cultural exchange, the Garsia family would have been part of a society that valued deep ancestral ties to the land and the local traditions of the Spanish frontier.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Gartzea
Basque word meaning bear or young bear
This name
GarsiaA patronymic surname derived from a medieval Basque given name signifying bear-like strength
also spelled
Garsia
Garsya
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Pescador del Hoyo, María del Carmen, La población de España en los siglos XVI y XVII, 1976
Moll, Francesc de Borja, Els llinatges catalans, 1959
Archivo de la Corona de Aragón, Censo de población de 1722
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