Map of Netherlands showing where the Summit arms are recorded
The Summit arms were recorded in Amsterdam, c. 1815.
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
Amsterdam
Town
Amsterdam
First recorded
1815
Granting Authority for the Summit 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 Summit 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 Summit Family in Netherlands
The family name Summit likely emerged as a descriptive identifier during a period when surnames were becoming standardized across Europe. Given the family’s documented presence in Amsterdam by 1815, it is probable that the name evolved from the Dutch word *sommet* or similar linguistic roots referring to a peak or a high point. In the early nineteenth century, Amsterdam was a bustling center of trade and migration, and families often adopted names that reflected their geographic origins or their specific place of residence within the city. As the family established their roots in the Netherlands, they became part of the vibrant urban culture that defined the post-Napoleonic era. The name likely served as a way to distinguish this specific lineage as they navigated the social and economic changes occurring in the Dutch capital during the early 1800s.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Summa
Latin word meaning the highest point, top, or summit.
This name
SummitA topographic name for someone who lived at the top of a hill or mountain.
also spelled
Smidt
Smith
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Meertens, P.J., De betekenis van Nederlandse familienamen, 1968
Van der Schaar, J., Woordenboek van voornamen, 1964
mulletThe third son, and a divine quality from above
mulletThe third son, and a divine quality from above
