Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)“D'or à la bande d'azur, ch. de trois sardines d'arg.”
A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Sardinas family of France.
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)“D'or à la bande d'azur, ch. de trois sardines d'arg.”

The Sardinas arms were recorded in France, c. 1663.
Arms such as these were typically recorded in Bretagne.
More families held coats of arms in Bretagne than anywhere else in France. The land was divided into many small estates rather than a few large ones, so far more households counted as gentry, and each needed a shield of its own 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.
In France, a coat of arms was a mark of honor that passed down through the male line to all legitimate descendants. Families often used the same shield without changes to show their shared heritage. If a branch wanted to stand out, they could add a small mark to their shield to show their specific place in the family tree.
The family name Sardinas has deep roots that trace back to the coastal regions of France, with documented evidence placing family members in the province of Bretagne by the year 1663. The name itself is closely linked to the geography and lifestyle of the Atlantic shoreline, as it is derived from the word for the sardine fish. In the seventeenth century, families often took surnames based on their trade, their local environment, or the primary food source of their community. Because Bretagne was a region defined by its maritime culture and fishing industry, it is likely that the early ancestors of the Sardinas line were involved in the bustling trade of the sea. By settling in this rugged northern territory, the family became part of a long tradition of coastal life that shaped the social and economic identity of the region for generations.
Derived from the Latin word for the sardine fish.