Fonseca Family Crest, Coat of Arms and Name History

This is primarily a Portuguese and Galician surname habitational name that denoted a person who lived near a spring that dried up during the warmer months, deriving from the words fonte seca, meaning “dry well”.

Blazons & Genealogy Notes

1) Fonseca – or Fonsecca – Rome – De gueules à cinq étoiles d’or 2 1 et 2. English: Gules with five etoiles or 2 1 and 2.
2) Fonseca – Comtes de Villanueva de Cañedo – Castille – (Comtes, 1615) – D’or à cinq étoiles (8) de gueules. English: Or with five etoiles of 8 points gules.
3) Fonseca – Fonseca (da) et Diaz da Fonseca – Amsterdam – Orig. d’Espagne – D’azur à cinq étoiles d’or 2 1 et 2. English: Azure with five etoiles or 2 1 and 2.
4) Fonseca – Fonseca (de) – Brabant – (Barons, 1 nov. 1713; comtes, 24 déc. 1731) – D’or à cinq étoiles (8) de gueules Supports deux griffons regardants d’or armés et lampassés de gueules. English: Or with five etoiles of 8 points gules Supporters two griffins reguardant or armed and langued gules.
5) Fonseca – Fonseca di Venezia – Agostino ed Antonio di Giovanni partiti dalla Spagna nel 1634 si stabilirono con preziosi capitali a Venezia, ove il primo ebbe il titolo di marchese. Ottennero inoltre il patriziato Veneto nel 1664 – D’oro, a cinque stelle di sei raggi di rosso. English: Or 5 etoiles of 6 [rays] gules.
6) Fonsecha – Fonsecha ou Fonseca – Venise – (An., 1664) – D’or à cinq étoiles (6) de gueules. English: Or with five etoiles of 6 points gules.
7) Fonsèque – Fonsèque de Surgères – Espagne, Saintonge – Écartelé aux 1 et 4 d’or à cinq étoiles (6) de gueules aux 2 et 3 de gueules au lion d’or couronné du même. English: Quarterly 1st and 4th or with five etoiles of 6 points gules 2nd and 3rd gules of lion or crowned of the same.
8) Fonsecca – Fonseca di Roma – Di rosso, a cinque stelle d’ oro 2, 1 e 2. English: Gules 5 etoiles or 2, 1 and 2.