A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Gomes family of Spain.
fessThe military belt, and readiness to serveJ. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)“D'arg. à trois fasces entées de sa.”
The Gomes arms were recorded in Catalonia, c. 1722.
Catalonia lived by sea trade, and its merchant houses were as powerful as its landowners. Both sorts of family took arms, and Barcelona kept records of the houses entitled to bear them.
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.
Reigning in Spain when the Gomes arms are first recorded.
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.
The surname Gomes traces its roots to the medieval Iberian Peninsula, originating as a patronymic name derived from the ancient Germanic given name Gomo, which translates to man. Over several centuries, the name evolved through various linguistic shifts in both Spanish and Portuguese regions, eventually becoming a common identifier for families across the Iberian landscape. By the early 18th century, the family had established a notable presence in Catalonia, a region known for its distinct cultural and administrative traditions. During this period, families named Gomes were integrated into the local social fabric, often participating in the agricultural and mercantile activities that defined the Catalan economy of 1722. This migration and settlement pattern reflects the broader movement of families across the peninsula as they sought new opportunities within the changing political borders of the time.
A Germanic term meaning man or human being.
