A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Hacks family of France.
Reg. 8670 · French, G–I
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
fessThe military belt, and readiness to serve
Colours
Black (Sable)Means: Constancy
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)
“Fascé de sa. et d'or, de quatre pièces. Cq. cour. C.: deux prob. d'or, ornées chacune dans son embouchure de trois pl. d'aut., à dextre une de sa. entre deux d'or, et à sen. une d'or entre deux de sa.”
FlandreFlandre, c. 1663
Where the Hacks Arms Were Recorded
Flandre
Map of France showing where the Hacks arms are recorded
The Hacks arms were recorded in Flandre, c. 1663.
Flandre grew rich on cloth, and its towns were among the busiest in Europe. Merchant families bought land with their profits and took arms to go with it, so trade put as many names in the registers here as land did.
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 France in this period.
Louis XIV of France
Sovereign of the period
Louis XIV of France
1643–1715
Reigning in France when the Hacks arms are first recorded.
How Arms Worked in France
In France, a coat of arms was a mark of honor that passed down through the male line to all legitimate descendants. Families often used the same shield without changes to show their shared heritage. If a branch wanted to stand out, they could add a small mark to their shield to show their specific place in the family tree.
Granting authority
The Juge d'armes de France acted as the official authority that regulated and verified coats of arms across the country.
How they got arms
Families typically inherited their arms from ancestors, though they could also receive them through royal grants or by proving their noble status.
Where arms were recorded
Coats of arms were officially recorded in the Armorial Général de France, which began its main collection in the year 1696.
The family's standing
Recorded among the armigerous families of Flandre.
Origin & History of the Hacks Family in France
The surname Hacks traces its roots to the historical region of Flanders, where records confirm the family was established by at least 1663. During this period, the name likely emerged as a descriptive identifier or a localized patronymic within the complex linguistic landscape of the Low Countries. In the seventeenth century, Flanders was a hub of trade and agricultural activity, and families often adopted names that reflected their specific trade or their connection to a particular village. As the family moved through the region, the spelling of the name remained relatively consistent, suggesting a stable presence in local parish registers and tax documents. This early history reflects the broader movement of families across the borderlands of modern-day Belgium and France, where the name became a permanent part of the local social fabric.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Hake
Old Germanic term referring to a hook or a hooked shape.
This name
HacksA topographic name for someone living near a hook-shaped piece of land or a river bend.
also spelled
Haeckxs
Hacks
Hax
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
De Smet, J. J., Histoire de la Belgique, 1864
State Archives in Belgium (Rijksarchief), Parochieregisters van de provincie West-Vlaanderen, 1663
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fessThe military belt, and readiness to serve
fessThe military belt, and readiness to serve
