Map of Netherlands showing where the Melissa arms are recorded
The Melissa arms were recorded in Netherlands, 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
First recorded
1815
Granting Authority for the Melissa 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 Melissa 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 Melissa Family in Netherlands
The name Melissa has roots that trace back to ancient Greek, where it translates to honeybee, but its presence as a family name in the region of Friesland tells a different story. By the year 1815, records indicate that families bearing this name were well-established in the northern provinces of the Netherlands. During this period, the Napoleonic administration required citizens to register their surnames formally for the first time. The ancestors of the Melissa family likely lived as farmers or tradespeople in the fertile Frisian landscape, where they adapted to the changing social structures of the early nineteenth century. Because Friesland has a unique linguistic and cultural history, the adoption of this name suggests a family that was deeply connected to the local community while navigating the transition into a modern era of standardized civil registration.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Melissa
Derived from the Greek word for honey bee.
This name
MelissaA feminine given name of Greek origin meaning honey bee.
also spelled
Mellis
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Tresoar, Frysk Historysk en Letterkundich Sintrum, Burgerlijke Stand van Friesland
Netherlands National Archives, Registers van de Burgerlijke Stand
Digital archive packCoat of arms PNG, gold border print PDF, vector SVG and the certificate of authenticity. Sent to your email in minutes.
lozengeHonour and nobility, and the arms of a woman
lozengeHonour and nobility, and the arms of a woman
