A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Gass family of Switzerland.
Reg. 6387 · Swiss, G–I
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Colours
Blue (Azure)Means: Loyalty and truth
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 buste de jeune fille, hab. d'or, supp. de sa tête une tige courbée en demi-cercle et une grappe de raisins pamprée au nat., suspendue à chaque extrémité, lesdites grappes accostant sa tête. C.: les meubles de l'écu. L. d'or et d'azur.”
SwitzerlandBâle, c. 1745
Where the Gass Arms Were Recorded
Bâle
Map of Switzerland showing where the Gass arms are recorded
The Gass arms were recorded in Bâle, c. 1745.
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 Switzerland in this period.
How Arms Worked in Switzerland
In Switzerland, coats of arms were not restricted to the nobility and were often adopted by common citizens and families. These symbols were passed down through generations to show family identity. When branches of a family grew, they often changed small details of the design to distinguish their own line from the original group.
Granting authority
Cantonal and civic authorities managed the use of coats of arms within their specific regions and local jurisdictions.
How they got arms
Families typically assumed their own coats of arms based on local custom rather than receiving them from a central monarch.
Where arms were recorded
Arms were recorded in various cantonal and civic registers starting from the fourteenth century throughout the Swiss region.
The family's standing
Recorded among the armigerous families of Switzerland.
Origin & History of the Gass Family in Switzerland
The surname Gass has deep roots in the German-speaking regions of Europe, particularly within the area surrounding Basel, Switzerland. The name is likely topographic in origin, derived from the Middle High German word *gasse*, which translates to a narrow street or alleyway. This suggests that the earliest ancestors to carry the name may have lived in a specific urban dwelling or a distinct passage within a town. By 1745, records confirm that the Gass family was well-established in Basel, where they participated in the local social and economic life of the city. As members of the community, they were integrated into the guild systems and civic structures that defined life in the Swiss cantons during the eighteenth century. Over time, the family name spread across borders, reflecting the movement of people throughout the Rhine Valley and beyond.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Gasse
A narrow street, alley, or lane.
This name
GassA topographic name for someone who lived in or near a narrow alleyway.
also spelled
Gasse
Gassh
Gassz
Gas
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Brechenmacher, Josef Karlmann. Etymologisches Wörterbuch der deutschen Familiennamen. 1957
Staatsarchiv Basel-Stadt. Bürgerverzeichnisse und Einwohnerregister. 1745
Bahlow, Hans. Deutsches Namenlexikon: Familien- und Vornamen nach Ursprung und Sinn erklärt. 1967
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