Map of Netherlands showing where the Linklater arms are recorded
The Linklater arms were recorded in Etats-Unis, c. 1815.
Arms such as these were typically recorded in Friesland.
Friesland was low, wet country on the northern coast of the Netherlands, farmed by families who had held the same land for centuries. Free landholders were unusually common there, and a free landholder could carry 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.
Region
Friesland
Town
Etats-Unis
First recorded
1815
Granting Authority for the Linklater Arms
Hoge Raad van Adel
Photograph made by me · CC BY-SA 3.0
The body that granted and recorded arms in Netherlands in this period.
William I of the Netherlands
Sovereign of the period
William I of the Netherlands
1815–1840
Reigning in Netherlands when the Linklater arms are first recorded.
How Arms Worked in Netherlands
In the Netherlands, coats of arms were often used by noble families and those who held specific public offices. These arms were passed down through the generations to legitimate descendants. Younger branches of a family usually kept the original design without needing to add special marks. This system ensured that the family identity remained clear and consistent over many years.
Granting authority
The Hoge Raad van Adel is the official body that regulates and manages noble titles and coats of arms in the Netherlands.
How they got arms
Families typically obtained their coats of arms through official royal grants or by proving their long-standing historical use of the symbols.
Where arms were recorded
Coats of arms are officially recorded in the registers held by the Hoge Raad van Adel, which began its work in 1814.
The family's standing
Recorded among the armigerous families of Netherlands.
Origin & History of the Linklater Family in Netherlands
The surname Linklater is traditionally associated with the Orkney Islands in Scotland, where the name appears in historical records as early as the fifteenth century. The name is derived from Old Norse, likely combining words that describe a specific coastal landscape or a "link" of land near a body of water. While the family has deep roots in the Northern Isles, members of the lineage also established a presence in the region of Friesland by 1815. This migration was often driven by the extensive maritime trade networks that connected the North Sea coastal communities during the nineteenth century. Families like the Linklaters frequently moved between these northern ports to work in shipping, agriculture, or commerce, which explains how the name spread from its Scottish origins into the Netherlands and beyond.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Hlynr
Old Norse word for the maple tree.
This name
LinklaterDerived from a place name meaning maple tree slope or maple tree water.
also spelled
Lynklaen
Linklaene
Linklan
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Clouston, J. Storer, Records of the Earldom of Orkney, 1299-1614, 1914
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland: Their Origin, Meaning, and History, 1946
Tresoar (Friesland Archives), Burgerlijke Stand (Civil Registry) 1811-1950
Digital archive packCoat of arms PNG, gold border print PDF, vector SVG and the certificate of authenticity. Sent to your email in minutes.
cantonA mark of honour granted by the sovereign
swanGrace, light and the poet's art
mulletThe third son, and a divine quality from above
cantonA mark of honour granted by the sovereign
swanGrace, light and the poet's art
mulletThe third son, and a divine quality from above
