Map of Netherlands showing where the Schaar arms are recorded
The Schaar 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 Schaar 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 Schaar 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 Schaar Family in Netherlands
The family name Schaar has deep roots in the northern regions of the Netherlands, particularly within the province of Friesland. By the early nineteenth century, the name was firmly established in this coastal area, where families often lived in close-knit agricultural or maritime communities. The word itself is derived from Middle Dutch and Old Frisian terms that referred to a sharp edge, a ploughshare, or a specific piece of land along a riverbank. Because many surnames during this era were chosen to describe a person’s trade or the landscape they inhabited, it is likely that the first people to carry the name were either skilled metalworkers or farmers who worked the rich, heavy soil of the Frisian countryside. These early ancestors were part of a society that valued local identity and tradition, and their presence in official records from 1815 marks a period when the Dutch government began standardizing family names for census and tax purposes.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Schar
A Middle High German term referring to a plowshare or blade.
This name
SchaarAn occupational name for a plowman or a maker of cutting tools.
also spelled
Schar
Shar
Related arms
Schärvariant spelling
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Meertens, P.J., De Nederlandse familienamen: ontstaan en betekenis, 1951
Tresoar (Fries Historisch en Letterkundig Centrum), Burgerlijke Stand van Friesland (Civil Registry of Friesland), 1811–1950
Van der Schaar, J., Woordenboek van voornamen, 1964
Digital archive packCoat of arms PNG, gold border print PDF, vector SVG and the certificate of authenticity. Sent to your email in minutes.
pileWell-doing, and a mark of distinction
cantonA mark of honour granted by the sovereign
saltireResolution, and St Andrew's cross
saltire coupedResolution, and the cross of St Andrew
pileWell-doing, and a mark of distinction
cantonA mark of honour granted by the sovereign
saltireResolution, and St Andrew's cross
saltire coupedResolution, and the cross of St Andrew
