A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Rada family of Spain.
cross symbolChristian faith and serviceJ. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)“D'or à la croix de Calatrava de sa.”
The Rada arms were recorded in Aragon, c. 1722.
Aragon was mountain and river country in north-eastern Spain, with a strong tradition of small independent landholders. A great many families counted as gentry there, and each one needed a shield to be told apart.
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 Spain in this period.
Reigning in Spain when the Rada arms are first recorded.
In Spain, a coat of arms was considered a form of property that belonged to the entire family line. These arms were passed down from a father to all his children equally. Younger branches of the family usually kept the original design without needing to add any special marks to distinguish their specific line.
The family name Rada has deep roots in the historical region of Aragon, where members of the family were documented as early as 1722. The name is often linked to the geography of northern Spain, as it is derived from the Spanish word "rada," which refers to a natural bay or a sheltered harbor. In the context of inland regions like Aragon, this term likely described a specific piece of land or a geographical feature near a family settlement. Families during this period were often identified by the unique characteristics of the land they farmed or the specific villages they inhabited. By the early 18th century, the Rada family had established themselves as part of the local social fabric, contributing to the agricultural and administrative life of the Aragonese countryside. Their presence in official records from this era suggests they were settled members of the community who played a role in the regional history of the Spanish Crown.
Derived from the Latin word prata meaning meadow or field.
