A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Hat family of Denmark.
Reg. 3292 · Danish, G–I
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
hat or capDignity, and the honour of office
Colours
Red (Gules)Means: Military strength
Black (Sable)Means: Constancy
Historical info
Source
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)
“De gu. à trois chapeaux de sa, entourés chacun d'une corde d'or. C.: trois pl. d'aut., une de sa. entre deux de gu.”
Denmarkc. 1722
Where the Hat Arms Were Recorded
Sjaælland
Map of Denmark showing where the Hat arms are recorded
The Hat arms were recorded in Denmark, c. 1722.
Arms such as these were typically recorded in Sjaælland.
Zealand held the Danish court, the crown's offices and Copenhagen itself. Families who served the king kept estates within reach of it, and royal service was the ordinary route to a coat of arms.
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 Denmark in this period.
Frederik IV of Denmark
Sovereign of the period
Frederik IV of Denmark
1699–1730
Reigning in Denmark when the Hat arms are first recorded.
How Arms Worked in Denmark
Danish heraldry during this period was closely tied to noble status and royal favor rather than being open to all citizens. Arms were typically granted by the monarch to individuals, and these symbols were then shared by all members of the noble house. If a family line died out, the right to use those specific arms ended with them.
Granting authority
The Danish royal chancery held the power to issue and regulate official coats of arms for the kingdom.
How they got arms
Families usually received their arms through a formal royal grant that confirmed their noble status and rights.
Where arms were recorded
These grants were officially recorded in the Danish Royal Chancery records starting in the sixteenth century.
The family's standing
Recorded among the armigerous families of Denmark.
Origin & History of the Hat Family in Denmark
The family name Hat traces its roots to the Danish island of Sjælland, where records confirm members of the family were living as early as 1722. During the eighteenth century, surnames in rural Denmark were often fluid and frequently derived from a person’s occupation, a unique physical trait, or a specific location. The name Hat likely originated as a descriptive nickname, perhaps referring to a person who wore a distinctive head covering or someone who worked in the trade of hat making. As the family established themselves in the local community, the name became a permanent identifier passed down through generations. By the early 1700s, these individuals were part of the agrarian society that defined the region, living as farmers or laborers who helped shape the rural landscape of Sjælland.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Hatt
A Middle Low German term referring to a head covering or hat.
This name
HatAn occupational surname for a maker or seller of hats.
also spelled
Hat
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Rigsarkivet (Danish National Archives), Kirkebøger (Parish Registers), Sjælland, 1722
Rigsarkivet (Danish National Archives), Folketællinger (Census Records), 1787
Nielsen, Oluf, Danske Navne (Danish Names), 1883
Kousgård Sørensen, John, Danske Surnavne (Danish Surnames), 1991
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hat or capDignity, and the honour of office
hat or capDignity, and the honour of office
