A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Grala family of Spain.
ravenConstancy and divine providenceJ. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)“D'or à un corbeau de sa., volant vers sen.”
The Grala 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 Grala 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 Grala has deep roots in the northeastern region of Spain, specifically within the historical territory of Catalonia. By the year 1722, records confirm that members of the family were already established in this area, living through a period of significant social and political transition following the War of the Spanish Succession. During the eighteenth century, families in Catalonia were often tied to the land through agriculture or local trade, and the Grala name likely emerged from these rural communities. The name itself may have originated as a descriptive term or a local nickname that evolved into a permanent family identifier as record-keeping became more standardized in parish registers. These early ancestors were part of a resilient population that helped shape the distinct cultural and linguistic identity of the Catalan people during the Enlightenment era.
A Latin term referring to a cup, bowl, or chalice.
