A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Greyling family of Switzerland.
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.”
The Greyling arms were recorded in Provence, c. 1745.
Provence was old country, with towns dating to the Romans and families who traced their land back nearly as far. Its gentry were many and long-settled, and long settlement is what fills a register.
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.
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.
The Greyling family name has deep roots that trace back to the historical region of Provence in southern France. By the year 1745, records confirm that members of the family were well established within this vibrant area. The name itself is thought to be descriptive, likely originating from a nickname that referred to a person’s physical appearance or perhaps their association with a specific local landmark. During the eighteenth century, families in Provence often lived in tight-knit rural communities where they worked in agriculture or local trades. As the family grew and moved through the region, they became part of the complex social fabric of pre-revolutionary France. Over time, the name traveled beyond these original borders, carrying the history of their Provençal heritage to new places and generations.
A German term referring to the color gray.
