A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Gongora family of Spain.
Reg. 1584 · Spanish, G–I
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
cross symbolChristian faith and service
lionCourage, strength and royalty
Colours
Silver (Argent)Means: Peace and sincerity
Red (Gules)Means: Military strength
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 la croix de gu., ch. de cinq lions ramp. d'or.”
AndalusiaAndalusia, c. 1722
Where the Gongora Arms Were Recorded
Andalusia
Map of Spain showing where the Gongora arms are recorded
The Gongora arms were recorded in Andalusia, c. 1722.
Andalusia was the last part of Spain taken back from the Moors, and the land was shared out among the men who took it. A grant of land came with a grant of arms, so the region produced a great many.
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 Gongora 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 Andalusia.
Origin & History of the Gongora Family in Spain
The surname Góngora originates from the Basque Country in northern Spain, specifically from a small town of the same name located near Vitoria-Gasteiz. The name is derived from the Basque words for a high or elevated place, which suggests that the family’s earliest ancestors likely lived on a prominent hill or mountain ridge. Over several centuries, members of the family migrated southward across the Iberian Peninsula. By the early eighteenth century, the Góngora name was well-established in the region of Andalusia. This area became a significant hub for the family by 1722, where they integrated into the local social and economic life of southern Spain. This migration reflects the broader movement of families from the northern mountainous territories toward the fertile lands and major cities of the south during the colonial and post-colonial eras of Spanish history.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Gongor
Basque term referring to a high place or a hillock.
This name
GongoraA topographic surname denoting someone who lived near a prominent hill or elevated terrain.
also spelled
Gongorah
Gongorra
Gongor
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Mikel Belasko, Diccionario etimológico de los nombres de los pueblos, villas y ciudades de Navarra, 1999
Endika de Mogrobejo, Diccionario hispano de apellidos y blasones, 1995
Archivo General de Simancas, Registro del Sello de Corte, 1722
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cross symbolChristian faith and service
lionCourage, strength and royalty
cross symbolChristian faith and service
lionCourage, strength and royalty
