A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Grau family of Spain.
Reg. 2366 · Spanish, G–I
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
ladderAmbition, and a fearless assault
Colours
Gold (Or)Means: Generosity
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'or à un escalier de quatre degrés d'azur, posé en bande.”
CataloniaCatalonia, c. 1722
Where the Grau Arms Were Recorded
Catalonia
Map of Spain showing where the Grau arms are recorded
The Grau 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.
Philip V of Spain
Sovereign of the period
Philip V of Spain
1714–1724
Reigning in Spain when the Grau 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 Catalonia.
Origin & History of the Grau Family in Spain
The surname Grau is a classic Catalan name that carries a deep connection to the geography and culture of northeastern Spain. The word itself translates to gray in the Catalan language, and it was historically used as a descriptive nickname for individuals who had gray hair or wore gray clothing. By the early 18th century, families bearing this name were well-established in the Catalonia region, where they lived as part of the local agricultural and artisan communities. These early ancestors were deeply rooted in the social fabric of their villages, often appearing in local parish registers and land records as they managed their estates or practiced their trades. Because the name was tied to a common physical trait, it emerged independently in several different towns, allowing the family lineage to spread across the Mediterranean coast throughout the 1700s.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Gradus
Latin term meaning a step, degree, or rank.
This name
GrauRefers to a person with gray hair or someone living on a gray-colored plot of land.
also spelled
Graux
Graue
Graus
Grow
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Alcover, Antoni M. and Moll, Francesc de B., Diccionari català-valencià-balear, 1962
Moll, Francesc de B., Els llinatges catalans, 1959
Arxiu de la Corona d'Aragó, Registres de la Reial Audiència
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ladderAmbition, and a fearless assault
ladderAmbition, and a fearless assault
