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'arg. à la croix ancrée de gu.”
A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Sline family of Netherlands.
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)“D'arg. à la croix ancrée de gu.”

The Sline 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.
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.
The family name Sline has deep roots in the coastal region of Friesland, a province in the northern Netherlands known for its distinct language and independent spirit. By 1815, records confirm that members of the family were well-established within this area during a time of significant political change as the Netherlands transitioned into a kingdom. The name likely evolved from the local Frisian dialect, which often used descriptive terms to identify families based on their trade or the specific landscape where they lived. During the early nineteenth century, the Sline family lived through the aftermath of the Napoleonic Wars, a period that forced many Dutch citizens to formalize their surnames for government census and tax purposes. This era marked a transition toward modern record-keeping, allowing the family to leave a clear paper trail in local civil registries. These ancestors were likely part of the hardworking rural or maritime communities that defined the Frisian identity for centuries.
A muddy or swampy area of land.