A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Ricks family of Belgium.
saltireResolution, and St Andrew's crossJ. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)“D'or au saut. écoté de gu.”
The Ricks arms were recorded in Brabant, c. 1737.
Brabant lay at the heart of the Low Countries, where the trade routes met. Its towns were wealthy and its landowners many, and both kinds of family kept arms, which is why the region is so heavily represented.
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.
Reigning in Belgium when the Ricks arms are first recorded.
In Belgium, a coat of arms is considered personal property that is passed down through the male line to legitimate descendants. Families often use the same shield design across generations to show their shared heritage. If a branch of the family wants to change the design, they must apply for an official update to their specific version of the arms.
The history of the Ricks family name is rooted in the linguistic traditions of the Low Countries, where it likely originated as a shortened form of names like Richard or Hendrick. By the early eighteenth century, the family was well-established in the Duchy of Brabant, a region that spanned parts of modern-day Belgium and the Netherlands. During this period, the area served as a vital crossroads for trade and agriculture, which shaped the daily lives of families living there. Records from 1737 confirm that individuals bearing this name were active members of the local community, participating in the social and economic structures of the Brabant landscape. As the family grew, their presence in this region helped define their early identity before many descendants eventually moved to other parts of Europe and beyond.
Derived from the Germanic elements meaning powerful and brave ruler.
